Kingdom: Animalia
Clade: Euarthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Carabidae
Genus: Bembidion
Species: B. tillyardi
Binomial name: Bembidion tillyardi
Synonyms: Cillenum tillyardi, Zecillenus tillyardi
Common name: Back Beach beetle
Bembidion tillyardi is a small flightless beetle that has so far only been recorded from Back Beach, a sandspit on an inlet behind Tahuna Beach, Nelson.
Bembidion tillyardi is approximately 4 mm long and 1.3 mm wide. It occurs in 1–2 mm wide burrows in open or sparsely vegetated sand in the high intertidal area, and their habitat is inundated by spring tides each month.
In recent years, the main channel in the Waimea estuary has been moving eastward, gradually eroding away Back Beach.
Bembidiontillyardi’s habitat is also threatened by sea level rise and the depositing of fine sediment that the beetle cannot tolerate. Another threat to this species is recreational use of the beach, especially illegal use of off-road vehicles. Bembidion tillyardi has been given "Nationally Critical" status by the Department of Conservation.
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