Tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) of the Kruger National Park, South Africa: Distribution, habitat associations and conservation status

Thirty-two species of tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) have been recorded from the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Information about the distribution, habitat associations and seasonal activity patterns of tiger beetles in the Kruger National Park is summarized from data collected in field surveys conducted between 2006 and 2011, museum specimen records and literature records. Two ecological communities in the park support large and diverse assemblages of tiger beetle species: upland 'sand veld' communities and riverine/riparian areas. Information about adult and/or larval microhabitat associations is presented for 23 of the tiger beetle species occurring in the Kruger National Park. The park supports 25.8% of the species of Cicindelidae known to occur in South Africa. Eighteen species of tiger beetles recorded from the park (including three species of Manticora Fabricius, the species Megacephala regalis regalis Boheman, and 14 species of Dromica Dejean) are listed as 'protected species' under the South African Biodiversity Act of 2004.