Altai and adjoining areas of Russia, Kazakhstan and Xinjiang
Fine-art photographic collection
Cicindela (Cicindela) granulata
A 15–18 mm subalpine tiger beetle active on bare mountain ground during a brief July season.
About this species
Cicindela (Cicindela) granulataGebler, 1843
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Cicindela granulata is a large, dark tiger beetle of Central Asian subalpine landscapes. Adults measure about 15–18 mm, occupy bare or sparsely vegetated mountain ground and have a recorded flight season concentrated in July.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Coleoptera · Carabidae · Cicindela
Accepted taxon. · checked 2026-07-15
Altai and adjoining areas of Russia, Kazakhstan and XinjiangBroad documented range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
Open ground in continental steppe and mountain-valley landscapes.
Adults are documented mainly from June to October.
Predatory on small arthropods.
What makes this species remarkable?
Adults reach roughly 15–18 millimetres, unusually substantial for a ground-running tiger beetle.
It inhabits subalpine mountains on bare or sparsely vegetated patches, where the hunting surface is exposed to sharp swings in temperature and wind.
The documented adult season can be compressed into July, forcing feeding, mating and egg-laying into a very short high-country summer.