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Home/ Megacephalini / Tetracha / Tetracha pilosipennis
free_basic NE species Endemic · BR large

Tetracha pilosipennis

Moravec, 2020

Common name: Pilosipennis Tiger Beetle

Tribe
Megacephalini
Subtribe
Megacephalina
Bioregion
Neotropical
Countries
6
Body length
20.5 mm
Habitat
open-ground
Activity
nocturnal
Wings
macropterous

Distribution

Colombia (Amazonas), Ecuador, Peru (Loreto, Madre de Dios), Bolivia (Santa Cruz, Beni), Paraguay (Boqueron, Caazapa), Brazil (Acre)

Open Sandy habitatBiome: Open arid
Provinces: Amazonas, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Santa Cruz, Beni, Boqueron, Caazapa, Acre

Flight period

I

Active June–October (peak Jul–Aug)

Similar to: Resembles Megacephala, Phaeoxantha, Pseudotetracha
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII

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

Key diagnostic characters

DIAGNOSIS — Tetracha Hope, 1838 Body 10–20 mm, robust Megacephalini habitus. Nocturnal–crepuscular.

Confidence profile

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

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Taxonomic notes

Original combination: [orig. comb.] polita (Bates, 1869) (Bates, 1869)

Originally described as polita (Bates, 1869); transferred to Tetracha

Synonym: Cicindela polita (Bates, 1869) [basionym]

Data quality: 77/100  ·  Source: GBIF; Wiesner2020; matrix-morphology  ·  Verified by V. Štrunc · Audited: 2026-05-13

Frequently asked

What is the Polita Tiger Beetle? ▾
Tetracha Hope, 1838 is one of the largest genera in Megacephalini, with approximately 102 species prowling forest clearings and sandy or clay-loam substrates near water across the Americas. These robust, metallic beetles emerge after dark, hunting under moonlight on bare ground. Larvae develop in
Where does the Polita Tiger Beetle live? ▾
It specialises in open ground habitats. distributed across the Pantropical region. with records from Brazil (Ama