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Home/ Manticorini / Manticora / Manticora werneri
free NE species Endemic · ZM large ★ 6.6 Aposematic

Manticora werneri

Cassola, 2003

Common name: Werner's Giant Tiger Beetle

Tribe
Manticorini
Subtribe
?
Bioregion
Afrotropical
Countries
2
Body length
50 mm
Habitat
open-ground
Activity
nocturnal
Wings
apterous

Distribution

Republic of South Africa (W Cape Province), Namibia (Gobabis)

Open Sandy habitatBiome: Open arid
Provinces: W Cape Province, Gobabis

Flight period

I

Active October–April (peak Jan–Nov)

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

Precise distribution

NA, ZA

Confidence profile

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

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Taxonomic notes

Original combination: Megacephala apicespinosa (Moravec, 2020)

Data quality: 76/100  ·  Source: GBIF; Wiesner2020; matrix-morphology  ·  Verified by V. Štrunc · Audited: 2026-05-13

Frequently asked

What is the Apicespinosa Tiger Beetle? ▾
Megacephala Latreille, 1802 is a robust Afrotropical tiger beetle genus whose broad, enlarged head is wider than the pronotum — the source of its name. Active after dark on bare or sandy soils, these metallic-green to gold beetles are among the most striking nocturnal predators of African open hab
Where does the Apicespinosa Tiger Beetle live? ▾
It specialises in coastal sandy habitats. distributed across the Afrotropical region. with records f
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