The variation and taxonomy of Cicindela formosa Say (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

Abstract

The variation of Cicindela Formosa Say was studied using various morphometric methods. The adults and third instar larvae were examined by principal components analyses and by clustering techniques using unweighted pair-group method using arithmetric means of product moment correlation coefficients and taxonomic distance. Color characters of the adults were studied using graphic means. Certain selected characters of the adults were examined graphically using the plotting programs TRIANG, CONREC, and SRFACE. Keys to adults and third instar larvae were provided. Synonymy, descriptions and distributions for each recognized subspecies were presented. Of five previously described subspecies (C. f. Formosa Say, C. f. generosa Dejean, C. f. Manitoba Leng, C. f. pigmentosignata W. Horn and C. f. gibsoni Brown) C. f. Manitoba was synonymized under C. f. generosa. Two previously undescribed subspecies, C. f. Mescalero and C. f. yampa, were described. Conclusions were drawn as to the evolution of the subspecies of C. Formosa, and possible rates of evolution for certain subspecies were suggested.