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free NE species very large ★ 6.1 Aposematic

Manticora livingstoni

(Bates, 1878)

Common name: Livingston's Giant Tiger Beetle

Tribe
Manticorini
Subtribe
?
Bioregion
Afrotropical
Countries
5
Body length
50 mm
Habitat
open-ground
Activity
nocturnal
Wings
apterous

Distribution

Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, M Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique

Open Sandy habitatBiome: Open arid

Flight period

I

Active October–April (peak Jan–Nov)

Similar to: Resembles Mantica, Platychile
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII

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

Key diagnostic characters

DIAGNOSIS — *Manticora* Fabricius, 1781 Body massive (40–65+ mm), the largest known cicindelids; habituwith robust, elongate-cylindrical. Dorsum entirely matte black to dark brown, lacking metallic ir

Confidence profile

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

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Taxonomic notes

Original combination: [orig. comb.] mygaloides (Bates, 1878) (Bates, 1878)

Originally described as mygaloides (Bates, 1878); transferred to Manticora · Verified in Wiesner 2020 checklist

Synonym: Cicindela mygaloides (Bates, 1878) [basionym]

Data quality: 79/100  ·  Source: GBIF; Wiesner2020; matrix-morphology  ·  Verified by V. Štrunc · Audited: 2026-05-13

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Meet the world's largest tiger beetle: Manticoraarticle

Frequently asked

What is the Tarantula-like Giant Tiger Beetle? ▾
Manticora Fabricius, 1792 is Africa's ultimate tiger beetle — the largest members of the family, reaching over 65 mm in body length. All species are flightless, matte black or dark brown, and prowl open arid ground after dark, hunting by sheer force rather than speed. Males bear hypertrophied, asy
Where does the Tarantula-like Giant Tiger Beetle live? ▾
It specialises in open ground habitats. distributed across the Afrotropical region.
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