The body length is . The head and
thorax are bronze-green, the legs are long and slender, and the
elytra are white to light tan with narrow bronze markings. The head has long
antennae, large compound eyes, and powerful jaws. There are white hairs on the
pronotum and the sides of the
abdomen. The pale coloration provides
camouflage for the beetle on the light sand. The
larvae are grub-like, with long, segmented bodies and large jaws similar to those of adults. In 2012, the subgenus
Habroscelimorpa was reclassified to the genus level Fitting to its name, the Northeastern beach tiger beetle is found along the north-eastern coast of the US and dwells in small sand burrows. The beetle is highly susceptible to abundant human activity and
beach erosion, and in 1990, the Northeastern beach tiger beetle was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). It is the only subspecies to be listed under the ESA. The
larva of the subspecies
C. d. media is notable for its ability to leap into the air, loop its body into a rotating wheel and roll along the sand at a high speed using wind to propel itself. If the wind is strong enough, the larva can cover up to in this manner. This remarkable ability may have evolved to help the larva escape predators such as the
thynnid wasp Methocha. Wheel locomotion in nature is extremely rare and has only been observed in a few animals around the world. ==Subspecies==