Tiger Beetles of Africa

Tiger Beetles of Africa

A Geographical Guide to the Family Cicindelidae

Tiger Beetles of Africa is a comprehensive geographical and taxonomic guide dedicated to the remarkable diversity of the family Cicindelidae within the Afrotropical biogeographical region. This authoritative volume introduces readers to 43 genera, 36 subgenera, and approximately 300 species and subspecies, providing an in-depth overview of one of the most dynamic predatory beetle groups on the African continent.

The Afrotropical region, encompassing mainland sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and associated islands, represents one of the global centers of cicindelid diversity. This guide is designed to document and interpret that diversity through a synthesis of modern taxonomy, precise locality data, and exceptional visual documentation.

Taxonomic Foundation and Scientific Context

The taxonomic structure of the book follows the expert classifications of Jürgen Wiesner, incorporating the most current and widely accepted systematic framework for tiger beetles. The introductory section includes a complete checklist of all tiger beetle species recorded from Africa, derived from Checklist of the Tiger Beetles of the World, 2nd Edition (December 2020).

This checklist establishes a robust scientific baseline for the volume, making it not only an identification guide but also a reference work of lasting value for taxonomists, faunists, and biodiversity researchers.

Scope and Geographic Coverage

The book focuses exclusively on the Afrotropical zoogeographical region, which is characterized by exceptional habitat heterogeneity, ranging from arid deserts and savannas to tropical rainforests, coastal systems, and highland plateaus. These environments have driven extensive adaptive radiation within Cicindelidae, resulting in high levels of endemism and morphological specialization.

By organizing species geographically and taxonomically, the guide allows readers to understand both:

  • regional patterns of diversity and distribution, and

  • evolutionary relationships among African tiger beetle lineages.

Illustrated Identification and Visual Precision

A defining feature of Tiger Beetles of Africa is its unique pictorial atlas format, designed for accurate and intuitive identification. One or more representative species of each genus and subgenus are illustrated using large-format, ultra-high-resolution photographs, produced at 450 LPI to capture the finest morphological details.

Each illustrated species is accompanied by:

  • sex of the specimen,

  • body size,

  • precise locality of origin,

  • rarity status,

  • detailed country-level distribution maps.

All species are presented in standardized dorsal (top-view) close-ups, ensuring consistent comparison across taxa. The use of UV inks on glossy chalk paper enhances color saturation and contrast, allowing metallic reflections, cuticular textures, and structural details to be rendered with exceptional clarity.

Importantly, several species illustrated in this volume have never been previously published, significantly expanding the visual record of African Cicindelidae.

Tiger Beetles of the World
Tiger Beetles of Africa
Tiger Beetles of Orient
The Tiger Beetles Bundle

Field Data and Expert Identification

In addition to visual documentation, the guide incorporates trapping locality data and emphasizes species determination by specialists, ensuring taxonomic accuracy and practical relevance for field-based research. This combination of verified identifications and precise provenance enhances the scientific credibility of the work and makes it especially valuable for faunistic surveys and comparative studies.

Production Quality and Format

The physical production of the book reflects its scientific ambition:

  • durable hardcover binding,

  • heavyweight paper (170 g/m²),

  • optimized surface for high-resolution color reproduction,

  • secure packaging to ensure safe delivery.

An interactive book presentation is also available, extending accessibility and usability for digital reference and educational contexts.

Position within a Global Series

Tiger Beetles of Africa is the first volume in a planned global series of tiger beetle guides organized by zoogeographical region. Subsequent volumes will address the Palearctic, Nearctic, Neotropical, Australian, and Oriental regions, ultimately forming a coherent, worldwide visual and taxonomic reference for the family Cicindelidae.

Intended Audience and Scientific Value

This guide functions simultaneously as:

  • an illustrated identification manual,

  • a regional taxonomic synthesis,

  • a visual archive of rare and endemic species,

  • a foundational reference for ecological and conservation research.

Its combination of topical relevance, taxonomic depth, and visual precision makes Tiger Beetles of Africa indispensable for professional entomologists, museum curators, biodiversity researchers, conservation practitioners, advanced amateurs, and dedicated nature enthusiasts.
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Foreword to the Tiger Beetles of Africa

Among insects, tiger beetles have become one of the best-known groups thanks largely to an army of amateurs contributing their time and effort. The resultant plethora of taxonomic, ecological, behavioral, and distributional data has led this family of beetles to be used as a model system for understanding general patterns of biodiversity across the globe.

Field guides, illustrated books, and online databases have been crucial in attracting this growing number of amateur enthusiasts and providing a focus for their hobbies and interests. Vladimír Štrunc, a gifted musician, photographer, and amateur entomologist, provides another valuable source for revealing the world of tiger beetles to a growing circle of potential citizen scientists.

This outstanding book on the tiger beetles of tropical Africa and Madagascar is the first in a planned series that will cover each of the different biogeographic zones of the world. Štrunc has previously published illustrated books on an overview of The Tiger Beetles of the World as well as other families of beetles, and his growing experience with these books has led to a format in this present volume that surpasses the others. The photos in full color are spectacular, plus they are now supplemented with distributional maps, seasonal occurrence, and relative abundance that make the book valuable to not only aspiring amateurs but to professional scientists and wildlife managers.

The book includes representatives of all Afrotropical tiger beetle genera and subgenera and almost a third of the approximately 920 species now known from this biogeographic area. It is likely to capture the attention and enthusiasm of many yet uninitiated into the world of tiger beetles. The knowledge and usefulness of tiger beetles will likely grow thanks to this first of a series of stunning books to come.

— David L. Pearson
School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, USA