Neocicindela tuberculata

Neocicindela tuberculata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Adephaga
Family: Cicindelidae
Genus: Neocicindela
Species:
N. tuberculata
Binomial name
Neocicindela tuberculata
(Fabricius, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Cicindela tuberculata Fabricius, 1775
  • Cicindela tuberculosa Olivier, 1790a
  • Cicindela tuberculata tuberculata Chaudoir, 1865a
  • Cicindela huttoni Broun, 1877b
  • Neocicindela tuberculata Rivalier, 1963
  • Cicindela (Neocicindela) tuberculata Larochelle & Larivière, 2001

Neocicindela tuberculata is a species of tiger beetle endemic to New Zealand and is sometimes referred to as the tuberculate tiger beetle or the common tiger beetle. It was first described in 1775 by Johan Christian Fabricius from specimens collected during Captain Cook's first voyage, making it the first ground beetle to be described from New Zealand. The species has been suggested to be roughly 0.92 million years old. It can be distinguished from other species in Neocicindela by the colour pattern of its elytra. It is widespread throughout most of New Zealand, and occurs as adults from September to July. As larvae, they live in burrows in dry clay banks. Both the adult and the larvae are predators that eat other insects. In the Māori language they are sometimes referred to as moeone, among other names.