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Home/ Cicindelini / Lophyra / Lophyra capillata
free NE species Endemic · TZ medium ★ 6.3 Iridescent

Lophyra capillata

(Bates, 1878)

Common name: Capillata Tiger Beetle

Tribe
Cicindelini
Subtribe
Cicindelina
Bioregion
Afrotropical
Countries
12
Body length
12.5 mm
Habitat
coastal-sandy
Activity
diurnal
Wings
macropterous

Distribution

Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia

Coastal habitatBiome: Coastal sandy

Flight period

I

Active October–April (peak Jan–Nov)

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

X-IV (rainfall-triggered, Afrotropical wet season)

Key diagnostic characters

DIAGNOSIS — Lophyra Motschulsky, 1859 Body 10–17 mm, elongate Palearctic–Afrotropical–Oriental Cicindelini. Ground color typically metallic green or brown with white maculation.

Confidence profile

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

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Taxonomic notes

Original combination: Lophyra cassoliana (Werner, 2000)

Data quality: 75/100  ·  Source: GBIF; Wiesner2020; matrix-morphology  ·  Verified by V. Štrunc · Audited: 2026-05-13

Frequently asked

What is the Cassoliana Tiger Beetle? ▾
Lophyra (Spilodella) is a small Oriental subgenus of tiger beetles haunting open, wet sandy habitats under cover of darkness. These metallic, spot-patterned beetles measure 9–12 mm and are tied to bare sand, where larvae excavate vertical burrows. Their specialised nocturnal lifestyle sets them ap
Where does the Cassoliana Tiger Beetle live? ▾
It specialises in coastal sandy habitats. distributed across the Afrotropical region. with records from
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