Cicindela obsoleta vulturina LeConte, 1853

Mawdsley, Jonathan R., 2009, Geographic variation in U. S. populations of the tiger beetle Cicindela obsoleta Say (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (94), pp. 1-10 : 7-8

Cicindela obsoleta vulturina LeConte

Figure 10-14

Cicindela vulturina LeConte (1853: 439) Syntype male in MCZC labeled with red disk, red and white label “Type / 43,” and handwritten J. L. LeConte label “ C. vulturina / Schott. Lec.”, MCZ type # 43 (examined).

Diagnosis. A large black or olive-green tiger beetle found in woodland areas of eastern Texas and adjacent portions of Oklahoma, with disjunct populations in Missouri, Arkansas, and possibly New Mexico. Linear white or yellow elytral markings are almost always present, but may be reduced or incomplete ( Figure 10-11 ). The elytral markings are slender and elongate, not strongly rounded as in C. o. santaclarae. In more completely marked individuals, the median elytral fascia is sharply angled on disc, forming an inverted “V” on each elytron ( Figure 12-14 ). In individuals with reduced elytral markings, the oblique, narrow line(s) at mid-elytron and/or apical third are diagnostic.

Notes. It has recently been suggested that the disjunct populations in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri may be subspecifically distinct from the nominate populations of this subspecies in Texas and Oklahoma ( Pearson et al. 2006). Characters which have been suggested as diagnostic for these populations include a preponderance of olive green (as opposed to black) individuals and a large number of individuals with complete (as opposed to reduced) white elytral markings ( Figure 14 ). However, olive green individuals can be found in a number of Texas populations, including series that I examined for this study which were collected at the following localities: 2 miles N. of Somerville, 3 miles E. of Kosse, 3.5 miles E. of Kosse, 3.5 miles S. of Alvarado, 4 miles E. of Kosse, 5 miles E. of Henrietta, 5 miles E. of Kosse, 12 miles E. of Buffalo, Calvert, Cisco, College Station, Fedor, Forestburg, Henrietta, Kosse, and Smith Point. Moreover, most of these populations also contain representatives with fully marked elytra ( Figure 13 ), as do populations at 2 miles SW. of Somerville, 7 miles N. of Smithville, Bastrop, Cypress Mills, and Madisonville. Furthermore, seven of the specimens that I examined from Arkansas and Missouri had incomplete markings, and Raney (2003) provides a photograph of a specimen from Arkansas with incomplete markings which is also black rather than olive-green.

Clearly these two color characters cannot be used unequivocally to diagnose the Missouri and Arkansas populations as a separate subspecific taxon. Further study of the taxonomic status of these populations is needed. Future studies should probably utilize molecular systematic approaches, which have been useful in resolving relationships among other “difficult” groups of tiger beetles (e.g. Morgan et al. 2000).

The status and distribution of C. o. vulturina in New Mexico also merit further investigation. Freitag (1999) included New Mexico in the distribution of this subspecies but Pearson et al. (2006) did not. There are two older specimens of this subspecies in NMNH labeled simply “N. Mex.” I also examined a pair of specimens in AMNH which had been collected along U.S. Route 41 at the Santa Fe-Torrance Co. line in New Mexico. From examination of the distribution map in Figure 18 , it is apparent that this locality is highly disjunct from the other known collecting sites for this subspecies. Further investigations are needed to determine whether these specimens represent a resident population.

Material examined. 478 adult specimens from the following localities: AR: Stone Co., 2.5 miles SW Calico Rock, 4 miles S White River. MO: Taney Co., Branson. NM: Santa Fe-Torrance Co. line, U.S. Route 41. OK: Comanche Co., Lawton, Wichita Mountains. TX: Bastrop Co. , 7 miles N Smithville, Bastrop ; Bell Co., Temple ; Blanco Co., 5 miles W Cypress Mills, Cypress Mills ; Brazos Co., 4 miles NE Kurten, College Station ; Brown Co., Brownwood ; Burleson Co., 0.5 miles NW Somerville, 2 miles N Somerville, 2 miles SW Somerville , 10 miles SW Caldwell ; Burnet Co., 6 miles NE Marble Falls on US 281 ; Chambers Co., Smith Point ; Childress Co., Lake Childress ; Clay Co., 5 miles E Henrietta, Henrietta ; Dallas Co., Dallas ; Eastland Co., Cisco ; Harris Co., Houston ; Jackson Co., Texas Highway 35 ; Johnson Co., 3.5 miles S Alvarado ; Lee Co., Dime Box, Fedor, Giddings ; Leon Co., 9 miles W Normangee, 12 miles E Buffalo ; Limestone Co., 3 miles E Kosse, 3.2 miles E Kosse , 3.5 miles E. Kosse, 4 miles E Kosse, 5 miles E Kosse, 6 miles E Kosse, Kosse ; Llano Co., Llano ; Madison Co., Madisonville ; Mason Co., 8 miles E Mason ; Matagorda Co., Palacios ; McLennan Co., Cameron Park, Waco ; Milam Co., Thorndale ; Montague Co., Forestburg ; Refugio Co., Refugio ; Robertson Co., Calvert ; San Patricio Co.; Tarrant Co.; Taylor Co., Abilene .

Figures

Figure 18. Collecting localities for the tiger beetle Cicindela obsoleta in the United States, mapped using ArcView GIS software. Open circles represent collecting localities for Cicindela obsoleta obsoleta; open squares represent Cicindela obsoleta santaclarae; closed circles represent Cicindela obsoleta vulturina; and closed stars represent Cicindela obsoleta neojuvenilis.

Figure 10-17. Adult habitus photographs of pinned specimens of Cicindela obsoleta in NMNH. 10) Cicindela obsoleta vulturina LeConte, female, Cisco, TX.11) Cicindela obsoleta vulturina, female, Henrietta, TX.12) Cicindela obsoleta vulturina, male, Forestburg, TX. 13) Cicindela obsoleta vulturina, male College Station, TX. 14) Cicindela obsoleta vulturina, male, 2.5 miles SW Calico Rock, AR. 15) Cicindela obsoleta neojuvenilis Vogt, paratype male, S. W. Hidalgo Co., TX. 16) Cicindela obsoleta neojuvenilis, paratype female, S.W. Hidalgo Co., TX. 17) Cicindela obsoleta neojuvenilis, paratype female, S. W. Hidalgo Co., TX.