Cicindela ohlone

Ohlone tiger beetle

Family: Cicindelidae · Class: Insecta · Order: Coleoptera

Conservation status: Endangered · G1 S1

The Ohlone tiger beetle is a small, diurnal predatory beetle endemic to Santa Cruz County, California. This species displays a distinctive grassy green coloration with bronze accents on the thorax, making it most similar in appearance to Cicindela purpurea lauta, the Cow Path tiger beetle subspecies (USFWS Species Profile). The Ohlone tiger beetle was recognized as a separate species due to differences in genital structure, despite the morphological similarities to related taxa. The species occurs exclusively on coastal terraces in Santa Cruz County, California, where it inhabits remnant patches of native grassland habitat (Freitag et al. 1993). This extremely restricted range makes it one of the most geographically limited tiger beetles in North America. The beetle was first discovered and described in the early 1990s, having been initially mistaken for a variant of the Cow Path tiger beetle subspecies. Ohlone tiger beetles require specialized coastal terrace grassland habitat with specific microhabitat characteristics suitable for both adult activity and larval development. As of 2003, only five habitat fragments still supported the species, each covering less than 2 hectares (5 acres), with no more than 300 acres of potential habitat remaining (NatureServe 2003). These small, isolated patches represent critical habitat remnants within the species' native grassland ecosystem. As a diurnal predator, the Ohlone tiger beetle exhibits typical tiger beetle behavior including thermoregulatory activities, active foraging during daylight hours, and oviposition in suitable substrates. Adults are active hunters that pursue prey on foot, while larvae develop in vertical burrows in the soil where they ambush passing insects. The species demonstrates behaviors consistent with other Cicindela species, including territorial displays and mate-seeking activities during the breeding season. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Ohlone tiger beetle as endangered on October 30, 2001, due to its extremely limited distribution and ongoing threats (66 FR 54808). The species faces significant conservation challenges from habitat fragmentation and destruction caused by urban development, particularly residential construction pressures in Santa Cruz County. Habitat degradation represents an ongoing threat to the remaining populations. No critical habitat has been designated for this species as of December 2025 (USFWS IPaC). The species' global and state conservation rank of G1 S1 reflects its critically imperiled status, with five or fewer occurrences remaining. Recovery efforts focus on protecting existing habitat fragments and managing threats within the species' extremely limited range. The small population size and habitat fragmentation make this species particularly vulnerable to local extinctions and genetic bottlenecks, emphasizing the critical importance of protecting all remaining occupied sites.

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, and more.