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free NE species Endemic · CG medium

Elliptica lugubris

(Bates, 1878)

Common name: Lugubris Tiger Beetle

Tribe
Subtribe
Cicindelina
Bioregion
Afrotropical
Countries
8
Body length
14 mm
Habitat
forest-floor
Activity
diurnal
Wings
macropterous

Distribution

Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Togo, Benin, Mali, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Republic of Congo, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of South Africa

Forest habitatBiome: Tropical forest

Flight period

I

Active January–December (year-round)

Similar to: Resembles Ambalia, Bennigsenium, Calyptoglossa
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII

I-XII (year-round activity)

Key diagnostic characters

DIAGNOSIS — *Elliptica* Dokhtouroff, 1883 Body small to medium (8–14 mm, varies by species), oval-shouldered habitus with characteristic compact build. Head wider than pronotum; eyes large, strongly p

Confidence profile

geo:H|bio:H|morph:H|pheno:I|elev:I|obs:M

Living Book · World Monograph 2026

Genera and Subgenera of Tiger Beetles

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Taxonomic notes

Original combination: Elliptica mechowi (Werner, 2001)

Data quality: 82/100  ·  Source: GBIF; Wiesner2020; matrix-morphology  ·  Verified by V. Štrunc · Audited: 2026-05-13

Frequently asked

What is the Mechowi Tiger Beetle?
Elliptica is a compact Afrotropical tiger beetle genus of roughly 18 species prowling the clay and loam floors of central African tropical forest openings after dark. These nocturnal hunters bear the characteristic dense, decumbent elytral pubescence — pale yellowish-white adpressed setae blanketi
Where does the Mechowi Tiger Beetle live?
It specialises in forest floor habitats. distributed across the Afrotropical region. with records from Democra
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