The Western Beach Tiger Beetle
The Western Beach Tiger Beetle (Cicindela latesignata)
If you’re walking down the beach on the spit, in areas not heavily trafficked, you may see tiny creatures that you mistake for flies, flying out from in front of you and then landing a short distance away. If you’re able look closely, as they often run fast or fly short distances away, you may find that they’re actually pretty trippy looking beetles with interesting patterns on their backs. This is a rare species called the Western Beach Tiger Beetle, that only occurs on relatively undisturbed beaches in Southern California and Baja.
Tiger beetles are a family of beetle known for their fast running speed and adept hunting abilities, as they chase down and capture other invertebrate. They have large bulging eyes, long, slender legs, and large curved mandibles.
Tiger beetles are considered a good indicator species and have been used in ecological studies on biodiversity. (For those wishing to dive deeper into how tiger beetles help us monitor biodiversity, see SPATIAL MODELING OF BUTTERFLY SPECIES RICHNESS USING TIGER BEETLES (CICINDELIDAE) AS A BIOINDICATOR TAXON - Carroll - 1998 - Ecological Applications - Wiley Online Library). This is particularly important for our current Species of the Week because May 22 is International Day for Biodiversity (International Day for Biological Diversity | United Nations)
Our local species of tiger beetle, the Western Beach Tiger Beetle, is one of the rarest tiger beetles in North America. It only occurs on beaches from Los Angeles County to Baja, and what’s more, it’s separated into three subspecies with even smaller ranges.
Unfortunately, human activities and beach degradation have caused populations of Western Beach Tiger Beetle to decline drastically, causing local extinction in some areas. Recreational activities can destroy larval burrows and make beaches unsuitable for their survival.
We are incredibly fortunate to have a stretch of beach on the spit that is relatively undisturbed and allows species like the Western Tiger Beetle and Western Snowy Plover to persist. Let’s be respectful of these native creatures and their delicate habitat when we wander into the less traveled areas of our beaches.
