Cicindela patruela is a localized, globally uncommon species found on sandy soils in pine/oak forest or pine barrens, eroded sandstone habitats, sandy trails, fire roads, and similar dry habitats from New England to the Great Lakes region, and into the Appalachians. A distinctive black color morph ('consentanea') is now restricted to the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Schultz found this species in Ohio to prefer coarse sandy soils with quartz pieces. The habitat usually includes a conspicuous fauna of various lichen and moss species which share similar habitat preferences to C. patruela (Knisley & Schultz, 1997). In Maryland, this species appears restricted to sandstone ridgetops and outcroppings in the Valley-and-Ridge and Appalachians of western Maryland. Historic populations known from the Piedmont of Maryland are considered to be extirpated by Knisley due to habitat loss. It is ranked as S1 (highly state rare) in Maryland.
Cicindela patruela can be distinguished from its more common relative, C. sexguttata by noting the extent and shape of maculations, the sculpturing of the integument, and the extent of white setae on the body. C. patruela shows a complete middle band, reaching to the edge of the elytron, while the maculations are normally broken into spots or absent on sexguttata. C. patruela generally has a duller, less reflective body coloration, while sexguttata is a more brilliant, metallic emerald green or bluish. Cicindela patruela has more extensive, dense whitish appressed setae along the metacoxae and sides of the abdomen, which is much less developed on sexguttata.
There are 29 records in the project database.
| GA | AL | WA | FR | CL | MO | HO | BA | BC | HA | CE | PG | AA | CV | CH | SM | KE | QA | CN | TA | DO | WI | SO | WO |
