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Type: Article
Published: 2021-11-26
Page range: 73-80
Abstract views: 713
PDF downloaded: 38

A new tiger beetle from the Gulf Coast of Texas (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae, Cicindelini)

Department of Environmental Science, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA.
178 Winecup Way, Austin, TX 78737, USA
2521 Jones Place West, Bloomington, MN 55431, USA
Coleoptera Eunota new species taxonomy Texas Saline Coastal Prairie

Abstract

A new tiger beetle species, Eunota albicauda Duran, Roman & Huber n. sp., of the tribe Cicindelini, is described from the Gulf Coast of southern Texas. It is superficially most similar to E. togata (LaFerté-Sénectère, 1841) and E. circumpicta (LaFerté-Sénectère, 1841) but is distinguished on the basis of multiple character states not shared with either species. We reconstructed a phylogeny for Eunota to address the placement of this new taxon. Little is known about the biology or distribution of this exceedingly rare species. Despite extensive tiger beetle collecting from this region, only two specimens of E. albicauda n. sp. are known, collected in the mid-20th century. Future efforts to locate additional specimens should focus on coastal salt flats and marshes in southern Texas, including areas near the United States-Mexico border, late in the season (September-October).

 

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