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Home/ Cicindelini / Vata / Vata gracilipalpis
free_basic NE species Endemic · AU medium

Vata gracilipalpis

(Bates, 1892)

Common name: Gracilipalpis Tiger Beetle

Tribe
Cicindelini
Subtribe
?
Bioregion
Australasian
Countries
1
Body length
12 mm
Habitat
open-ground
Activity
diurnal
Wings
macropterous

Distribution

New Caledonia (Plum, Thio, Rivière Boulari, Plaine des Lacs)

Open Sandy habitatBiome: Open arid
Provinces: Plum, Thio, Rivière Boulari, Plaine des Lacs

Flight period

I

Active June–October (peak Jul–Aug)

Similar to: Resembles Abroscelis, Antennaria, Archidela
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII

X-III (rainfall-triggered, austral wet season)

Key diagnostic characters

DIAGNOSIS — *Vata* Fauvel, 1882 Body small (7–11 mm), elongate-cursorial habitus. Head wider than pronotum; eyewith large, protuberant.

Precise distribution

NC

Confidence profile

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

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Taxonomic notes

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

Originally described as thomsonii (Bates, 1892); transferred to Vata

Synonym: Cicindela thomsonii (Bates, 1892) [basionym]

Data quality: 72/100  ·  Source: GBIF; Wiesner2020; matrix-morphology  ·  Verified by V. Štrunc · Audited: 2026-05-13

Frequently asked

What is the Thomsonii Tiger Beetle? ▾
Vata Fauvel, 1881 is a small genus of two tiger beetle species found exclusively in New Caledonia, one of the most isolated archipelagos in the Pacific. These metallic, nocturnal beetles inhabit forest floors, running across bare sandy or clay substrates in search of prey. Their confinement to a s
Where does the Thomsonii Tiger Beetle live? ▾
It specialises in open ground habitats. distributed across the Australasian region. with records from Aust