Life History

Salt creek tiger beetles mate guarding

Most aspects of the life history of Cicindela nevadica lincolniana are unknown. Adults appear as early as the end of May or as late as mid-June and disappear by mid-to late-July (i.e. for about 5 or 6 weeks). Populations peak about two weeks after the first individuals appear. Adults mate throughout their life and may mate multiple times.  After mating, the male rides atop the female, presumably to prevent her from immediately re-mating.  This phenomenon is known as mate-guarding. More observations are necessary to fully understand the function of mate-guarding.

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Tiger beetle eggs .		Tiger beetle larva (not Salt Creek tiger beetle) out of burrow

Eggs are laid along the salty, muddy banks of Little Salt Creek, where the soil is sloping. As the egg hatches, the young larva digs a burrow, using its head to scoop out soil.  It takes these small “mud clots” to the burrow entrance and flips them outside the hole.  The small larva waits at the top of the burrow and ambushes prey that happens too near its burrow by grabbing the prey and pulling it into its burrow.  As the larva grows, it molts to a larger stage, or instar, enlarging and lengthening its burrow.  The literature reports that tiger beetles have three instars.  The Salt Creek tiger beetle probably overwinters as a third instar.
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Tiger beetle pupa

If it has a one-year life cycle, the larva will pupate in May and emerge several weeks later.  If it has a two-year life cycle, the larva will spend an entire year as a third instar.  It is unknown which type of life cycle the Salt Creek tiger beetle has.  Regardless, before pupation the larva seals its burrow entrance and digs a side chamber about 2 or 3 inches below the soil surface.  After the adult ecloses from the pupa, it remains in the chamber for a length of time while its cuticle hardens.  Adult Salt Creek tiger beetles prefer the wetter areas of the salt marsh, like the edge of temporal ponds or seeps along the creek bank, in contrast to the three other species of salt-marsh endemic tiger beetles, which prefer the drier “flats”.
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