David L. Pearson, C. Barry Knisley, and Charles J. Kazilek
Oxford University Press, New York
2006; 227 pp.
ISBN: 0-19-518156-5
$19.95, softcover

Finally, the long-awaited field guide to all of the tiger beetles of the United States and Canada is here! Formerly, cicindelophiles had to rely on regional guides, which mostly covered eastern areas. Regional guides are nice, but now there is a full-color publication showing all 109 species and 114 subspecies of tiger beetles for under $20.

Tiger beetles are among the most charismatic of insects, and their beauty, diversity, and wariness make them favorites among collectors. As a testament to their popularity, a journal entirely devoted to tiger beetles, Cicindela, is nearing its 40^th year in publication. In addition to their appeal to collectors and photographers, researchers find tiger beetles excellent models to study community ecology, biology, morphology, thermoregulation, predator-prey interactions, niche partitioning, biogeography, and physiology. All of these aspects make tiger beetles some of the best studied non-pest insects. One of the main goals of the authors was to persuade others that tiger beetles are special, and they have accomplished their goal with this book.

The book begins with a chapter titled “The Magic of Tiger Beetles,” and the appeal of tiger beetles to scientists and non-scientists is presented. Next, the authors discuss the morphology and physiology of Cicindelidae. The terminology and illustrations are important for use in the adult and larval keys presented later in the book. The third chapter of the book is on phylogeny and taxonomy of the group. Here, the authors define what species and subspecies are, and briefly discuss some controversy about these definitions. There is a brief overview of classic tiger beetle classification schemes from Walther Horn (1926) and Emile Rivalier (1954), as well as a cursory mention of current molecular studies. The next two chapters present keys to the adults and larvae of Cicindelidae. The adult key is an improved version of Willis (1968) that covers all four genera and not just Cicindela. Because of the tremendous intraspecific variation within some species, subspecies are also included in this key. A generic key to the larvae of tiger beetles follows, but as this stage is known from only 60% of the North American tiger beetles, it is of marginal value.

The greatest portion of the book is devoted to species accounts, which include a wealth of information on the distributions and natural histories of each species. Specifically, descriptions, with notations of similar species, subspecies and morphological variants, distribution and habitats, behavior, seasonality, and larval biology are all discussed in Chapter 6. This chapter also includes 24 full color plates, which merit discussion. After specimens were photographed, legs and antennae were digitally manipulated to make the specimen appear as it would in nature (or “artistically pleasing,” as the authors state). The resulting photograph is excellent, without the usual shadowing and reflection problems found in other field guides. Another positive attribute of this section is that the authors use common names (previously determined by an ad hoc committee), which should increase the appeal of tiger beetles to the general public.

The ecology, behavior, biogeography, and conservation of tiger beetles as a group are discussed at length over the next three chapters. Various biotic and abiotic stressors to tiger beetles, as well as mating behavior, are considered. In addition, adaptations to physical habitats and seasonality of the beetles are explained. Rare tiger beetles, including those federally listed as endangered or threatened, are listed and their threats are examined. The authors estimate that 15% of the named tiger beetles in the U.S. and Canada may be declining at a rate that justifies consideration for inclusion on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s List of Endangered and Threatened Species. A plea is given to provide information needed to help conserve these declining species. To wrap the book up, the final chapter, “Observing and Studying Tiger Beetles,” includes sections on lab and field observations, collecting, and photography. Additionally, there is a selected bibliography section, followed by a checklist and an index.

As one might expect with any undertaking this large, a few errors are found in the book. A mistake in the distribution maps occur with the Crimson Salt Flat and Ocellated tiger beetles, where for both species sspp. A and B are switched, but the notations are correct in the text. Under the Prairie Long-lipped tiger beetle, it is stated that “in Nebraska the Prairie Long-lipped tiger beetle tends to be greenish below…” Actually, Nebraska specimens are entirely black ventrally. However, in the Black Hills of South Dakota and in the foothills of the Rocky Mts., populations can be found that are green ventrally, probably due to hybridization with Boreal Long-lipped tiger beetles. The Badlands form of the Nevada tiger beetle, C. nevadica makosika Spomer, is found only in Pennington, not Bennett Co., SD.  There are a few other errors, but the authors are aware of these and plan on correcting the mistakes in the next edition of the book.

Overall, this is a highly anticipated book that lives up to its hype.  If this book doesn’t make you want to get out and collect, photograph, or study the vast assortment of tiger beetles found within the U.S. and Canada, nothing will. I heartily recommend obtaining a copy.

References

Horn, W. 1926. Pars 86: Carabidae: Cicindelinae. Coleoptorum Catalogues. Junk and Schenkling, Berlin, Germany.

Rivalier, E.1954. Démembrement du genre Cicindela Linné, II. Fuane américaine. Revue francaise d’Entomologie 17: 217-244.

Willis, H. L. 1968. Artificial key to the species of Cicindela of North America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). J. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 41: 303-317.

Stephen M. Spomer
Dept. of Entomology
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE
E-mail: sspomer1@unl.edu
 American Entomologist
Vol. 53, No. 3, Fall 2007