Research History
In 1916, T. L. Casey named Cicindela lincolniana as a new species of tiger beetle, distinct from both Cicindela and Cicindela knausi.  In a major work by H. L. Willis in 1967, he recognized both C. knausi and C. lincolniana (as well as other populations) as subspecies of Cicindela nevadica, stating that they were morphologically distinct and geographically separate subspecies.  Willis’ taxonomy has been accepted in tiger beetle literature, although two additional subspecies of Cicindela nevadica have been named since Willis’ paper.

Researcher examining tiger beetle burrow

In 1984, Mark Carter, who was a graduate student in Entomology at UNL working on a revision of the tiger beetles of Nebraska, made many collecting trips to explore new habitat and accumulate new county records.  Steve Spomer accompanied Mark on several of these trips, usually collecting butterflies, which were his specialty.  Eventually, Steve grew an interest in tiger beetles also.  Several tiger beetles were on Mark’s “most wanted list”, which included species which were apparently rare or where very little was known about them. One of these beetles was C. n. lincolniana, the beetle which Steve and Leon Higley later coined the common name “Salt Creek tiger beetle”.  Mark had seen the large number of individuals in the University of Nebraska State Museum and deduced that they were once quite common (which seemed to be a logical assumption, based on the former size of the saline wetlands around Lincoln).  Mark and Steve searched at the type locality (the place where the originally-named specimens came from), which was the Capitol Beach vicinity during the day and at night investigated other sites, including Arbor Lake and vicinity and the area now known as Jack Sinn W.M.A. near Ceresco. Mark came to the conclusion that the beetle was now quite scarce and may warrant protection.  Mark left UNL to pursue a PhD degree elsewhere and no surveys were conducted between 1986 and 1990.
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In 1991, Steve decided to begin an intensive survey to determine the distribution and abundance of the Salt Creek tiger beetle.  With the help of personnel from the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission’s Natural Heritage Program, he was able to identify and locate additional, potential sites.  After presence of lincolniana was confirmed visually at a site, sites were revisited weekly (weather permitting) until beetle numbers diminished.  Counts were either made visually during daylight hours (all sites), or at night using UV (blacklight) light (4 sites in 1991, 3 sites in 1992).  At the sites where UV light was used, attempts were made to mark, release, and later recapture beetles to get a population estimate.  Although visual counts were effective, mark-release-recapture techniques were not, because of the oily nature of the beetle’s cuticle.
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In 1992, Steve and Leon submitted a grant proposal, “characterizing rare tiger beetle populations in threatened salt marsh communities” to the USFWS, which was funded for one year at $4,400.  Surveys were continued in 1992, and observations on habitat preference, biology, etc., as well as distribution were made.  A total of eight sites where C. n. lincolniana was present were identified as of 1992.  Sites where C. n. lincolniana was not found included the Burlington-Northern RR yards in west Lincoln, several sites along Salt Creek within the Lincoln city limits, and Rock Creek.  A report was submitted to USFWS and we proposed that C. n. lincolniana be considered for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act.
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In 1994, Steve was privately hired as a consultant by E.A. Engineering (a local environmental assessment firm) to survey a tract of mitigation property (originally owned by Bus Whitehead) that is located east of what is presently the Cracker Barrel Restaurant on N. 27th St.  He found individuals of C. n. lincolniana along seep that ran into Little Salt Creek, as well as numbers of individuals along Little Salt Creek at this location.  This mitigation site is now maintained by the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District as a saline wetland, although the seep that contained the C. n. lincolniana has been filled in.  In 1998, one adult beetle was found on the site.  Separately from this survey, Steve found one individual of C. n. lincolniana on Little Salt Creek adjacent to Little Salt Marsh, a tract of land newly-acquired by the Nature Conservancy.
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Steve and his colleagues have continued to monitor sites on a yearly basis.  In 2001, private property NE and across Little Salt Creek from the mitigation site on N. 27th St. was surveyed and found to have small numbers of C. n. lincolniana.  Another potential site containing degraded saline wetlands on Charleston St. was also searched in 2001, but no tiger beetles were found.  There are plans for a MS-level graduate student to study the Salt Creek tiger beetle, starting in 2002.