biology

Habroscelimorpha dorsalis

Habroscelimorpha dorsalis is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Habroscelimorpha dorsalis rather than just read about it. In short: Habroscelimorpha dorsalis, commonly known as the eastern beach tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle (Cicindelini tribe) in the family Cicindelidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

Key takeaways

Habroscelimorpha dorsalis belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Habroscelimorpha dorsalis to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Habroscelimorpha dorsalis from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Habroscelimorpha dorsalis, commonly known as the eastern beach tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle (Cicindelini tribe) in the family Cicindelidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

Description The body length is 13 to 15 millimetres (0.51 to 0.59 in). The head and thorax are bronze-green, the legs are long and slender, and the elytra are white to light tan with narrow bronze markings. The head has long antennae, large compound eyes, and powerful jaws. There are white hairs on the pronotum and the sides of the abdomen. The pale coloration provides camouflage for the beetle on the light sand. The larvae are grub-like, with long, segmented bodies and large jaws similar to those of adults. Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis, commonly known as the Northeastern beach tiger beetle, is the largest subspecies of Habroscelimorpha dorsalis. In 2012, the subgenus Habroscelimorpa was reclassified to the genus level Fitting to its name, the Northeastern beach tiger beetle is found along the north-eastern coast of the US and dwells in small sand burrows. The beetle is highly susceptible to abundant human activity and beach erosion, and in 1990, the Northeastern beach tiger beetle was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). It is the only subspecies to be listed under the ESA. The larva of the subspecies C. d. media is notable for its ability to leap into the air, loop its body into a rotating wheel and roll along the sand at a high speed using wind to propel itself. If the wind is strong enough, the larva can cover up to 60 metres (200 ft) in this manner. This remarkable ability may have evolved to help the larva escape predators such as the thynnid wasp Methocha. Wheel locomotion in nature is extremely rare and has only been observed in a few animals around the world.

Subspecies These four subspecies belong to the species Habroscelimorpha dorsalis:

Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis (Say, 1817) Habroscelimorpha dorsalis media (LeConte, 1856) Habroscelimorpha dorsalis saulcyi (Guérin-Méneville, 1840) Habroscelimorpha dorsalis venusta (LaFerte-Senectere, 1841)

Range and habitat

H. d. media is found along the southeast coast of the United States, including South Carolina. H. d. dorsalis is found along the northeast coast. C. d. saulcyi and C. d. venusta occur along the coasts of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and Mexico. In general, C. dorsalis is most abundant on broad, fine-sand beaches that are highly exposed to tidal action and relatively undisturbed by humans. In order for the beetles to breed, beaches need to be at least 100 metres (330 ft) long and 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) wide, 5-8 being the optimal width. The eastern beach tiger beetle prefers a climate with average temperatures exceeding 15 °C and moderate to arid rainfall totals.

Biology The entire life cycle lasts 2 years. Adults emerge between mid-June and mid-August, usually reaching peak abundance by mid-July and declining by September. They spend the day foraging in the intertidal zone when the weather is warm and sunny. They feed on small invertebrates including flies, ants, and amphipods, but will also scavenge dead fish and crabs. Mating takes place between mid-July and early August when the weather is warm and humid. Females lay their eggs in the intertidal zone. They use sensitive hairs on their abdomen to determine whether the soil moisture content is suitable for larval survival and development. Oviposition takes place at night. The female uses her ovipositor to create a small hole in the sand where she deposits the eggs individually. Eggs hatch in mid-August, and the larvae dig vertical burrows where they secure themselves using hooks along their abdomen. They are predatory and prey on passing insects and other small invertebrates. Tiger beetle larvae go through three instars before pupating. They usually reach the second instar by September. As winter approaches, the larvae dig new burrows higher up the beach to protect themselves against storms and wave activity. After overwintering, they emerge in late May and June. Then they reach the third instar and overwinter again. The following spring they pupate in their burrows and emerge as adults.

Status The subspecies C. d. dorsalis (northeastern beach tiger beetle) suffered a major decline over the last 20 years. It used to be found all along the Atlantic coast of the US from Massachusetts to Virginia. Today it only occurs in the Chesapeake Bay of Maryland, Martha's Vineyard island off the coast of Massachusetts, and Virginia. This decline was caused by the destruction and disturbance of the beetle's natural beach habitat by human activity, one of the greatest threats being shoreline hardening by the placement of rip-rap. Other threats include pollution and pesticides, as well as the use of off-road vehicles that crush adults and larvae, also damaging larval burrows. In 2009 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service recommended C. d. dorsalis be uplisted to endangered status.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Habroscelimorpha dorsalis

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Habroscelimorpha dorsalis claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Habroscelimorpha dorsalis before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Habroscelimorpha dorsalis ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Habroscelimorpha dorsalis

In research: Habroscelimorpha dorsalis appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Habroscelimorpha dorsalis in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Habroscelimorpha dorsalis is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Beetles described in 1817, Beetles of North America, Cicindelidae, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Habroscelimorpha dorsalis outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Habroscelimorpha dorsalis in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Habroscelimorpha dorsalis means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Habroscelimorpha dorsalis out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Habroscelimorpha dorsalis in simple terms?

Why does Habroscelimorpha dorsalis matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Habroscelimorpha dorsalis?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Habroscelimorpha dorsalis.