The Pacific Coast Tiger Beetle, Cicindela bellissima, occurs only on lightly vegetated sand dunes along the pacific coast of Washington and Oregon, and extreme northern California (environment, photo 6).

One subspecies, C. b. frechini, replaces the other, C. b. bellissima, on beaches of the north Olympic Peninsula. The type specimen for C. b. frechini was collected on one of the two beaches of Makah Bay, on the Makah reservation. Olympic National Park lists C. b. frechini as an endemic to the Olympic Peninsula. (See ONP Endemics)

On 05 04 08, we drove to Sooes Beach, the southernmost of two accessible beaches on Makah Bay and photographed C. b. frechini. Besides being in the type location, our photos show the more ragged-edged middle line typical of this subspecies. This is especially visible in this photo by Robbie Hart. All the photos of C. b. frechini shown here are the same individual, which we chased around the dunes, although we did observe several other individuals.

We also photographed the Western Tiger Beetle, C. oregona oregona in our area, the only species C. b. frechini is known to occur with. (See ONH: Oregon Tiger Beetle)

Photos 3 and 5 by Robbie Hart using a Nikon Coolpix S4

Photo 6, by Karen Hart, shows Robbie (left) and Stephen (using a Nikon Coolpix S10) photographing C. b. frechini

Identified using A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada by Pearson, Knisley and Kazilek