What are tiger beetles?

• Taxonomy: All beetles belong to the order Coleoptera, which is the largest order in the animal kingdom with 350,000 named species (Lawrence & Britton 1994). Beetles are Insects, which along with the Chelicerata (spiders, mites, ticks, scorpions, et al.), Myriapods (millipedes and centipedes) and the Crustaceans (shrimps, crabs and lobsters) comprise the phylum Arthropoda. The Arthropoda contains 86% of the described animal species on our planet and 62% of all described species including plants, fungi and bacteria.

  However, the group of beetles to which tiger beetles belong is not very large- there are only 94 North American species in the genus Cicindela . Traditionally tiger beetles were considered a family of Coleoptera, the Cicindelidae, however, recent research has produced evidence that strongly supports the placement of tiger beetles within the ground beetles -- family Carabidae (e.g. Beutel 1993). Thus, in the same sense that humans are highly modified primates and birds are highly modified dinosaurs, tiger beetles are highly modified ground beetles. An excellent Web site providing information on the relationships of organisms is Maddison & Maddison's Tree of Life. Click here to visit the Tiger Beetle branch on the Tree of Life.

  Following the latest comprehensive classification of the order Coleoptera, that of Lawrence and Newton (1995), which looks to become the standard reference for years to come, the Linnean classification of tiger beetles is as follows:

  Kindgom: Animalia
  Phylum: Arthropoda
  Class: Insecta
  Order: Coleoptera
  Family: Carabidae
  Subfamily: Cicindelinae
  

  In North America, north of Mexico, there are four genera of tiger beetles: Omus, Amblycheila, Megacephala, and the genus with the majority of species, Cicindela. All the CT species are in the genus Cicindela.

• Ecology: Tiger beetles are predators as adults and larvae. This should be apparent to anyone who takes a close look at the business end (large graphic- 117k) of an adult tiger beetle. As predators, tiger beetles generally prey on arthropods that are smaller than they are, such as flies and ants. The adult beetles can run and take flight swiftly--so quickly, in fact, that some people mistake them for flies! It is unusual for beetles to move at such speeds- many common beetles move slowly and take much longer to prepare for flight.

  Tiger beetles, with a few exceptions, occur in sandy habitats with high rates of erosion and low plant density. Particular species will prefer certain moisture / humidity / salinity regimes and levels of shade over others so species can be found on inland beaches of rivers, lakes and ponds, in dry sand blowouts, pine & sand barrens and sand/gravel quarries, and along relatively undisturbed marine beaches. There is only one species ( Cicindela sexguttata) in the North East that can be considered tolerant of shade and is often found along forest trails.

  Adults are rarely active unless there is full sunlight- they are quite sensitive to changes in light intensity and will cease activity if clouds block the sun. Adults dig short burrows for shelter during the night and much longer burrows to overwinter. Depending on the soil and the species these burrows may extend to a length of 4 feet. Much more information on Tiger Beetle Biology can be found in Wallis' "The Cicindelidae of Canada" (1961).

  The larvae are also predators, but are far less mobile. They build burrows and catch prey that passes near the entrance. I expect to build an entire section of this web site devoted to information on the larvae which will inlcude a key to species and numerous illustrations. Hopefully, this will be complete by the Spring of 1998.

   

Tiger Beetle Anatomy: Click here to open a page illustrating the terms necessary to use the keys and diagnoses of this site. Use the illustration to learn the basic terms of Tiger Beetle Anatomy.

Their popularity and value as ecological indicators: Tiger beetles are one of the more popular groups of insects and, like butterflies, have attracted the attention of many amateur naturalists. Their popularity stems from a combination of factors, including the brilliant metallic coloration of some (e.g. Cicindela sexguttata ), their large size, their predatory behaviors and their modest species diversity (neither too few nor too many species). As a result of this popularity these beetles have been collected more consistently than many other beetle groups. This makes them a good choice for ecological monitoring because we have a relatively good understanding of the species' historical ranges and abundance. In addition, their tight association with patchily distributed, sandy, early successional habitats makes tiger beetles excellent "flagship" organisms for the large group of, often much less-well known, organisms associated with these habitats.

Collecting Tiger Beetles:

• Legal Issues: In Connecticut 9 of the 14 known species are either rare, imperiled, locally extinct, or federally listed (protected) and are thus of conservation concern. It is therefore critically important that any collecting of tiger beetles be done by people who have (1) obtained a collector's permit (see below), (2) familiarized themselves with the conservation status of each species, (3) agreed to take few (1-2) individuals per population, and (4) ideally, agreed to make their data and findings available to the CT Natural Diversity Database --thereby helping current tiger beetle conservation efforts. The database that has been built to assess the conservation status of CT tiger beetles was based on specimens collected primarily by amateurs, starting in the mid 1800s. Amateur collectors can be very helpful to conservation efforts.
  
• Amateur Collecting: There are numerous general-level Entomology books, such as those of the Peterson Field Guide Series, that have detailed information on collecting do-s and don't-s. It is strongly recommended that anyone interested in collecting tiger beetles should know and understand the basics of collecting techniques and ethics. Without such experience it will very difficult to obtain a collector's permit.
  
• Permits: There are two CT tiger beetles that are Federally protected species: C. puritana and C. dorsalis IT IS A FEDERAL CRIME TO COLLECT THESE SPECIES WITHOUT A PERMIT. However, the latter species has not been found in CT since 1950 and is presumed extinct within the state. Five additional species are protected by the state of CT -four are listed as a species "of special concern" and one, C. formosa, is listed as "Threatened" -IT IS A STATE CRIME TO COLLECT THESE SPECIES WITHOUT A PERMIT. However, it is now mandatory that a permit be in hand to collect ANY species of tiger beetle in Connecticut. To obtain a permit contact:

• Data, or "How can I help tiger beetle conservation efforts?": If you have an old collection that contains CT tiger beetle specimens with information on where and when they were collected you can contact the Natural Diversity Database either via email or snail mail at the address below:

If you want to collect tiger beetles in CT and contribute your data you must first obtain a permit (see above) and then make arrangements as listed above under Data to deposit your data. I hope that in spite of the difficulties associated with obtaining a permit, you realize that you can help our efforts. Remember:

Collecting tiger beetles, when done correctly, is

• valuable to State conservation efforts
• a healthy hobby that keeps you outside in the sun
• a way to learn more about nature and the biodiversity of your state
• challenging and fun

Among the data presented in this report are listed specimens that were collected by senior citizens and 4 year-old girls!

 

Tiger Beetle Links

• Noteworthy Tiger Beetles of the NorthEast [just images]
• Threatened & Endangered Animals (Tiger Beetles)
• Tree of Life: Cicindelitae
• The Salt Creek Tiger Beetle
• The Parowana Tiger Beetle