World Tiger Beetles

Cicindelidae › Manticorini › ? › Manticora › Manticora imperator imperator

Manticora imperator imperator

Péringuey, 1888 · Subspecies

Imperator Tiger Beetle

Broad-winged Giant Tiger Beetle (Manticora latipennis), open ground habitat, Afrotropical region

Description

Imperator Tiger Beetle, 50mm, open ground specialist, nocturnal, Afrotropical — tiger beetle data, photos & distribution.

Key characters

Dorsum entirely matte black to dark brown, lacking metallic ir

Diagnosis

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

Facts

Tribe
Manticorini
Subtribe
?
Body length
50 mm
Size class
very-large
Habitat
open-ground
Activity
nocturnal
Wings
apterous
Bioregion
Afrotropical
Distribution
Republic of South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo), Botswana…
Countries
Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Conservation
NE
Described by
Waterhouse, 1900

Phenology

Active October–April (peak Jan–Nov)

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Etymology

From Persian *martiya-khvāra* via Greek *mantikhṓras* ("man-eater" — legendary Persian beast); reference to the genus' enormous mandibles.

FAQ

What is the Broad-winged 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 Broad-winged Giant Tiger Beetle live?

It specialises in open ground habitats. distributed across the Afrotropical region. with

External resources

Data quality score: 77 · tier A_verified