Spectral reflectances of three tiger beetle subspecies (Neocicindela perhispida): Correlations with their habitat substrate

Abstract

The coloration and cuticular reflec-tivity of the three subspecies of the tiger beetle Neocicindela perhispida, that occur along coastal beaches of the North Island of New Zealand, were examined. The hardened forewings (elytra) of all three subspecies exhibited colour patterns that matched the sand of their respective beach habitats. The dark N. p. campbelli, which occurs on black ironsand beaches, absorbed significantly higher amounts of solar radiation than N. p. giveni whose white elytra blended well with the white quartz sands on which it occurred. The mottled N. p. perhispida, which inhabits yellowish-brown beaches, exhibited reflectivities generally intermediate to these two extremes.