Puritan Tiger Beetle

More about Puritan Tiger Beetle

Shoreline development and buffering has destroyed sandy beaches and reduced the Puritan tiger beetle’s habitat. The original 1993 recovery plan by the US Fish and Wildlife services cites that the hydrologic cycle of the Connecticut River has been altered by the construction of dams above Hartford, which has altered the beach habitat. Urbanization and bank stabilization has affected beach sites in Connecticut and Massachusetts. In the Maryland populations, the Methocha, a wingless parasitic wasp that attacks second and third instar larvae, is also considered a threat. Additionally, the Maryland population faces competition with another tiger beetle species, the Cicindela repanda.