Douglas C. Backlund¹, Nick Backlund¹, Gary L. Marrone², and Scott Weins³

The distributions of some species of tiger beetles that occur in South Dakota are poorly known. While a few species are common statewide others are known from only a few collection records. The recent publication of distribution maps of North American species of tiger beetles (Pearson, et al., 1997) focused our attention on several information gaps of distributions of South Dakota tiger beetles. Herein, we report extensions of the known ranges for four species in South Dakota. Specimens are in our personal collections. Approximate collection sites are shown in Figure 1.

Cicindela nebraskana Casey

Cicindela nebraskana has been taken from western South Dakota in short-grass prairie habitats (Kirk and Balsbaugh, 1975). We find this species locally common in short-grass prairie in and near the Black Hills. On September 9, 1996, D. Backlund collected two specimens in Ziebach County, about 10 miles west and 7 miles south of the town of Eagle Butte. This collection extends the known South Dakota range considerably east.

Cicindela splendida Hentz

This species has not previously been reported from South Dakota. However, Cicindela splendida is locally common in western South Dakota. The northernmost specimen was collected by D. Backlund in southwest Perkins County on September 6, 1999. C. splendida has also been taken from northeastern Shannon County, along the White River. Here the species occurs with Cicindela denverensis Casey. No interbreeding was observed. Specimens of both species were taken on March 19, 1999. Specimens have also been collected by the authors in the Mirror Lakes area in western Lawrence County. Here C. splendida occurs with Cicindela limbalis Klug and C. denverensis. The Mirror Lakes site is the only area where we have found these closely related species occurring together. The Black Hills presents an interesting gradation of C. limbalis, with maculated specimens in the higher elevations to unmaculated specimens or specimens with greatly reduced maculation in the Mirror Lake area. Marrone collected a male C. denverensis copulating with a female C. limbalis at the Mirror Lakes on April 7, 1997. The occurrence of these three species in one locality may be significant for future taxonomic studies of these species.

Cicindela cursitans Leconte

Previous collection records of Cicindela cursitans from South Dakota are few. Only two collections are reported, both from the southeast corner of the state near Elk Point and Springfield (Kirk and Balsbaugh, 1975).

We have now documented the presence of this species in western South Dakota. On July 12, 1997 N. Backlund collected a single specimen on the Grand River, Corson County, about 3 miles east of Little Eagle. D. Backlund collected three specimens on July 11, 1999 along the White River in Lyman County, about three miles east and nine miles south of Reliance. All specimens were collected from sandy riverbanks. These little tiger beetles may eventually be found throughout South Dakota along the major rivers.

Cicindela sexguttata Fabricius

This species has been reported in South Dakota from the eastern half of the state (Kirk and Balsbaugh, 1975). Prior to 1998 we have only found the species in Sica Hollow State Park, in Marshall and Roberts counties in the northeast corner of the state. In 1999 a specimen was obtained from Yankton County in southeast South Dakota. We are now able to document the occurrence of this species in the Black Hills of western South Dakota. Marrone collected a specimen from Custer State Park, Custer County, on June 12, 1998. Weins collected another specimen from Lawrence County, about 5 miles west and 5 miles north of Savoy. D. Backlund collected a single specimen from Crow Peak just west of Spearfish, Lawrence County, on May 27, 2000. In addition to our collections, we subsequently learned that Ron Huber has three Black Hills specimens of C. sexguttata that were collected in Lawrence County by John S. Nordin in 1967 and 1968 (Ron Huber, personal communication). Gilbertson (1929) also reported Cicindela guttata Fab., 1775 and Cicindela 6-guttata violacea Fab., 1801 from the Black Hills. Although Gilbertson was an Assistant Professor of Entomology at South Dakota State College, Black Hills specimens of C. sexguttata are not in the collection. We have collected extensively in western South Dakota but we have not found this species in the western half of the state outside of the Black Hills. C. sexguttata may be disjunct in the Black Hills.

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. David L. Pearson, Arizona State University for encouraging the writing of this article. Dr. Paul J. Johnson, South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D. provided information from the Severin-McDaniel Insect Research Collection. Brenda Palmer, Yankton, S.D. provided us with a specimen of Cicindela sexguttata from Yankton County. Ron Huber offered information and comments that were most appreciated.

Literature Cited

Gilbertson, G. I. 1929. The Cicindelidae of South Dakota. Proc. South Dakota Acad. Sci. 29: 22-26.

Kirk, V. M. and E. U. Balsbaugh, Jr. 1975. A List of the Beetles of South Dakota. Tech. Bull 42. Agricultural Experiment Station. South Dakota State University. Brookings, S. D.

Pearson, D. L. , T. G. Barraclough, and A. P. Vogler. 1997. Distributional Maps for North American Species of Tiger Beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). Cicindela 29 (3-4): 33-84.