Thopeutica (Thopeutica) virginalis (W. Horn, 1901)

Medina, Milton Norman D., Cabras, Analyn D., Ibanez, Jayson, Opiso, Guiller & Villanueva, Reagan Joseph T., 2020, Annotated list of tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) in Calanasan, Apayao Province, Luzon, Philippines, Check List 16 (1), pp. 37-45 : 43

Thopeutica (Thopeutica) virginalis (W. Horn, 1901)

Material examined. PHILIPPINES, Apayao Province, Municipality of Calanasan, 2♂♂, Brgy. Tangla- gan, IX.2018, coll. R.J. T. Villanueva ( Fig. 6A); UMCRC 010153, UMCRC 010154.

Identification. This species is very similar with T. darlingtonia Cassola & Ward, 2004 and T. suavissima Schaum, 1862 in having very fine sculpture on the frons and elytral maculation broken into dots; however, they differ in the color patterns of the pronotum. In T. suavissima the pronotum is metallic green, while in T. virginalis it is metallic blue, and in T. darlingtonia it is dark brown to black. Thopeutica virginalis has elongated, parallel-sided, dull greyish black to olive-green elytra, glossy black mirror spots in females, and a long, distinct sutural spine on the elytra. All three Thopeutica species have the aedeagus apically hooked.

Endemism and distribution. A Philippine endemic. Philippines (Luzon, Marinduque, Masbate, Panay, Negros, Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Mindanao) ( Cabras et al. 2016b; Cassola 2000).

Remarks. Thopeutica virginalis , T. darlingtonia , and T. suavissima were found along a stream bank, with the last species encountered least often. It is of interest that these species all inhabit the same habitat and locality.