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Home/ Cicindelini / Ellipsoptera / Ellipsoptera lepida
partial LC species Endemic · US medium

Ellipsoptera lepida

(Dejean, 1831)

Common name: Cream-edged Tiger Beetle

Tribe
Cicindelini
Subtribe
Cicindelina
Bioregion
Nearctic
Countries
2
Body length
11 mm
Habitat
coastal-sandy
Activity
diurnal
Wings
macropterous

Distribution

USA (Great Plains: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana), Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba)

Coastal habitatBiome: Coastal sandy
Provinces: Great Plains, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba

Flight period

I

Active April–September (peak May–Jul)

Similar to: Resembles Apterodela, Cicindela, Cicindelidia
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII

IV-IX (seasonally predictable)

Full data available to subscribers

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Taxonomic notes

Original combination: [orig. comb.] macra (LeConte, 1851) (LeConte, 1851)

Originally described as macra (LeConte, 1851); transferred to Ellipsoptera

Synonym: Cicindela macra (LeConte, 1851) [basionym]

Data quality: 58/100  ·  Source: GBIF; matrix-morphology  ·  Verified by V. Štrunc · Audited: 2026-05-13

Frequently asked

What is the Sandy Stream Tiger Beetle? ▾
Among the tiger beetles of North America, Ellipsoptera stands apart as a specialist of bare sandy shores — riverbanks, lakeshores, and coastal margins where few competitors venture. The roughly 14 species of this Nearctic genus are largely nocturnal hunters, their metallic bodies flashing under mo
Where does the Sandy Stream Tiger Beetle live? ▾
It specialises in coastal sandy habitats. distributed across the Nearctic region. with records from
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