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Opilidia macrocnema

(Bates, 1892)

Common name: Macrocnema Tiger Beetle

Tribe
Cicindelini
Subtribe
Cicindelina
Bioregion
Neotropical / Nearctic
Countries
4
Body length
12 mm
Habitat
coastal-sandy
Activity
diurnal
Wings
macropterous

Distribution

Mexico (Baja California, California Sur, Sonora, Nayarit, Jalisco, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas), Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador

Coastal habitatBiome: Coastal sandy
Provinces: Baja California, California Sur, Sonora, Nayarit, Jalisco, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas

Flight period

I

Active September–March (peak Oct–Dec)

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

IX-III (rainfall-triggered, Neotropical wet season)

Key diagnostic characters

DIAGNOSIS — *Opilidia* Rivalier, 1954 Body small to medium (7–12 mm), elongate-cursorial habitus. Head wider than pronotum; eyewith very large, strongly protuberant — adaptation to open bright substra

Confidence profile

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

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Taxonomic notes

Original combination: [orig. comb.] macrocnema kinbergi (Bates, 1892) (Bates, 1892)

Originally described as macrocnema kinbergi (Bates, 1892); transferred to Opilidia · Verified in Wiesner 2020 checklist

Synonym: Cicindela macrocnema kinbergi (Bates, 1892) [basionym]

Data quality: 78/100  ·  Source: GBIF; Wiesner2020; matrix-morphology  ·  Verified by V. Štrunc · Audited: 2026-05-13

Frequently asked

What is the Macrocnema Tiger Beetle? ▾
Opilidia Rivalier, 1954 is a small Neotropical genus of tiger beetles adapted to life along tidal margins of lowland tropical coastlines. These metallic, spotted beetles are nocturnal hunters, active on intertidal and supratidal sand flats and mudflats where few cicindelids venture. With roughly f
Where does the Macrocnema Tiger Beetle live? ▾
It specialises in coastal sandy habitats. distributed across the Neotropical / Nearctic region. with rec
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