Tiger / Ground Beetles

Tiger beetles are placed in the family Cicindelidae. There are about 120 species in N.America. The tiger beetles have strong jaws and bulging eyes that make them distinctive. They are usually metallic and colorful in appearance. They are active mostly during the day. Most are found in sunlight on open sandy areas. Adults feed on other insects. The larvae each live in a vertical burrow using a hooked hump to brace their body against the inside walls. With their flat heads flush with the surface of the ground they grab other insects and invertebrates that happen to pass by. The ground beetles which are in the family Carabidae, in contrast are active mostly at night. They are a large family with few distinctive characteristics. There are around 1700 species in N.America. They usually occur on the ground, they do not fly. They are usually seen scurrying when you turn over a log or stone. Most are black and often shiny with grooved wing covers and have their antenna inserted between the eyes and jaws. The antenna are threadlike or beadlike. They are usually long legged.They are fast hunters and beneficial predators of pest insects. Ground beetles are long-lived. They often defend themselves with noxious secretions that come from anal glands.

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