Bringing tiger beetles together.Puritan tiger beetles (Cicindela puritana Cicindela puritana is a species of tiger beetle endemic to the United States. Source
River, New England, northeastern U.S. Rising in the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, it flows south for a course of 407 mi (655 km) to empty into Long Island Sound. It forms the entire boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire. in New England New England, name applied to the region comprising six states of the NE United States—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The region is thought to have been so named by Capt. and a small part of the Chesapeake Bay Chesapeake Bay, inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, c.200 mi (320 km) long, from 3 to 30 mi (4.8–48 km) wide, and 3,237 sq mi (8,384 sq km), separating the Delmarva Peninsula from mainland Maryland. and Virginia. in Maryland. This unusual species has already disappeared from most of its historical range in New England, and Maryland populations are threatened by habitat loss and degradation (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993). Due to declining populations and continuing threats, the Puritan tiger beetle was listed in 1990 as a threatened species. The Puritan tiger beetle lives on sandy shores along fresh and brackish brack·ish adj. 1. Having a somewhat salty taste, especially from containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water: "You could cut the brackish winds with a knife/Here in Nantucket" watercourses. It has a two-year life cycle, spending 23 months of its life underground as a larva larva, in zoology larva, independent, immature animal that undergoes a profound change, or metamorphosis, to assume the typical adult form. Larvae occur in almost all of the animal phyla; because most are tiny or microscopic, they are rarely seen. . This efficient predator plugs the top of its tunnel with its flat head and attacks unsuspecting insects when they wander too close. The larva uses hooks along its sides as an anchor to prevent it from being dragged out of its tunnel. As an adult, the tiger beetle is one of the top insect predators on the beach. It uses its large eyes to identify its prey, runs after it at burst speed, and then pauses, apparently to relocate its quarry. This behavior of running interspersed with pausing and looking has led researchers to believe that tiger beetles run so fast that they cannot see to follow their prey (Pearson and Vogler 2001). The tiger beetle's prowess as a hunter is comparable to its tenacity as a courtier. Even though its copulation copulation /cop·u·la·tion/ (kop?u-la´shun) sexual union; the transfer of the sperm from male to female; usually applied to the mating process in nonhuman animals. cop·u·la·tion n. 1. requires only a few minutes, male Puritan tiger beetles have been documented riding the backs of females for up to 6 hours (Davis 2002). Because it is likely that a male's sperm will be used to fertilize the female's eggs only if he was the last to mate with her, one theory for this guarding behavior is that it safeguards the male's contribution. Unfortunately, this prolonged coupling makes a mating pair largely immobile and therefore highly susceptible to interference from humans. In Massachusetts, more than 150 people per day have been observed using the sunny Connecticut River beaches that Puritan tiger beetles call home (Abbott 2001). Beachgoers disrupt copulation behaviors and disperse the beetles as the insects pursue other activities critical to their survival, such as hunting (personal observation). For the last six years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time Silvio O. Conte Silvio Ottavio Conte (November 9, 1921 – February 8, 1991) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for 16 terms, from January 3, 1959 until his death. National Fish and Wildlife Refuge wildlife refuge, haven or sanctuary for animals; an area of land or of land and water set aside and maintained, usually by government or private organization, for the preservation and protection of one or more species of wildlife. , the Fish and Wildlife Service's New England Field Office, the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. Program, and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection have worked together to fund research and management on the precarious populations of Puritan tiger beetles in New England. All of the species' New England habitat falls within Conte NWR NWR National Wildlife Refuge NWR NOAA Weather Radio NWR National Wildlife Reserve NWR North West Region NWR Not Work Related NWR Network Wavelength Requirement NWR Not Worth Reporting NWR Nuclear Weapons Report . The Chesapeake Bay shoreline is the stronghold for this species. New England populations are less numerous and have experienced a precipitous decline in the past century. The construction of dams and other habitat losses along the Connecticut River have reduced the number of documented populations in the region from 11 to 2 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993). The two remaining New England populations are in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Connecticut boasts the larger of the two populations, with 947 adults counted in 2001 (Davis 2001). When the Massachusetts population was discovered in 1987, 100 to 200 adults were observed, but population sizes in recent years have been much lower, wavering from 32 to 41 adults per year between 1998 and 2001 (Davis 2001). This population of Puritan tiger beetles has become precariously close to becoming extirpated. Because of low numbers, researchers proposed that the adult beetles in Massachusetts may be having a difficult time finding each other and reproducing on the long beach (approximately 2,600 feet, or 790 meters), which is regularly crowded with sunbathers. Three years ago, it was decided to augment the Massachusetts population with beetles from the Connecticut site. In 2000, 38 larvae Larvae, in Roman religion Larvae: see lemures. were translocated to Massachusetts (Nothnagle 2001), supplemented by 60 in 2001 (Nothnagle 2002) and 65 in 2002 (Davis 2002). The augmentation seems to be working. In 2002, adult counts in Massachusetts reached a record total of 112 individuals (Davis 2002). We hope the larger population size will increase the probability of reproductive success Reproductive success is defined as the passing of genes onto the next generation in a way that they too can pass those genes on. In practice, this is often a tally of the number of offspring produced by an individual. . This is an important step toward the ultimate goal of 500 to 100 adults in two populations in Massachusetts (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1993). Research conducted in Connecticut has shown that the limiting factor A factor or condition that, either temporarily or permanently, impedes mission accomplishment. Illustrative examples are transportation network deficiencies, lack of in-place facilities, malpositioned forces or materiel, extreme climatic conditions, distance, transit or overflight rights, for successful Puritan tiger beetle survival is sand grain size (Omland, 2002). This is critical information for management, because it helps managers decide the best places for reintroduction. A number of sites in Connecticut have been found to be suitable habitat for Puritan tiger beetle reintroduction. The Service is currently funding this work in the hope of finding a suitable location for a new population. Literature Cited Abbott, B. 2001. The last known Puritan tiger beetle population in Massachusetts. A report submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Turners Falls, MA. Davis, C. M. 2001. Monitoring and census of the Puritan tiger beetle (Cicindela puritana): Connecticut River locations. Unpublished report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, Turners Falls, MA. Davis, C. M. 2001. Puritan tiger beetle Cicindela puritana G. Horn (Coleoptera: Cicindela): monitoring of populations in Connecticut in 2001. Unpublished report to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, North Franklin, CT. Davis, C. M. 2002. Monitoring and census of the Puritan tiger beetle (Cicindelapuritana) along the Connecticut River. Unpublished report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, Turners Falls, MA. Nothnagle, P. J. 2001. Population augmentation of the Puritan tiger beetle in Massachusetts. Unpublished report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, Turners Falls, MA. Nothnagle, P. J. 2002. Population augmentation of the Puritan tiger beetle, Cicindela puritana, through transplantation of larvae to Massachusetts. Unpublished report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, Turners Falls, MA. Omland, K. S. 2002. Larval larval 1. pertaining to larvae. 2. larvate. larval migrans see cutaneous and visceral larva migrans. habitat and reintroduction site selection for Cicindela puritana in Connecticut. Accepted, The Northeastern Naturalist. Pearson, D. L., and A. P. Vogler. 2001. Tiger beetles: the evolution, ecology, and diversity of the cicindelids. Cornell University Press. New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1993. Puritan Tiger Beetle (Cicindelapuritana G. Horn) Recovery Plan. Agency Draft. Hadley, Massachusetts. 43 pp. Michelle Babione is a Wildlife Biologist at Silvio O. Conte NWR (413/863-0209 ext. 5, michelle_babione@fws.gov). |
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