Photo: Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, Judy Gallagher
Judy Gallagher is an ASNV board member and a regular surveyor of local wildlife who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species.
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle - Cicindela sexguttata, Judy Gallagher
When the weather is chilly, it is difficult for me to find insects to photograph. So, I resort to rolling over logs or peeking under loose bark, hoping to find an organism that is hiding to keep warm. On one such day at Meadowood, I looked under some loose bark and found a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle. They are commonly seen during bug season, but they are very fast and are therefore challenging to photograph. This one was cold, so it was cooperative for its photo shoot.
Bronzed Tiger Beetle - Cicindela repanda, Judy Gallagher
The Six-spotted Tiger Beetle is one of a number of local tiger beetle species. They are called tiger beetles because of their tiger-like predatory habits and their voracious appetite. They have impressive mandibles which are used to capture and manipulate prey, for defense, and for holding the female while mating, as demonstrated here by Bronzed Tiger Beetles. For mating, the male's mandibles fit into grooves on the female's thorax to allow him to have greater control of the mating process. The male mandibles and female thoracic grooves may be species-specific, possibly preventing males and females of different species from mating.
Tiger beetles hold their antennae directly in front of them. The antennae sense the environment and enable the beetles to avoid obstacles while running. The front legs have specialized grooves to help clean the antennae.
Splendid Tiger Beetle - Cicindela splendida, Judy Gallagher
Males have pads on their front legs, which aid in grasping the female while mating. If you look carefully, you can see the pads on this male Splendid Tiger Beetle.
Tiger beetles come in a variety of colors, which vary depending on the amount of melanin and cuticle layering, and many of them have additional markings on their elytra (wing covers).
Tiger beetles are the fastest insects for their size. Their eyesight is excellent, but they run so fast that their eyes can't capture enough light to form images of their prey. So, they have to stop briefly to relocate prey, then start running again.
Oblique-lined Tiger Beetle - Cicindela tranquebarica, Judy Gallagher
Both larvae and adults are carnivores. This Oblique-lined Tiger Beetle has caught a Leafhopper, but tiger beetles are also capable of catching prey that is larger than them. The tiger beetle uses its mandibles to chop the prey into more manageable pieces and then secretes digestive enzymes to liquefy the prey.
Since tiger beetles find their prey by sight, most species need open spaces where they can see their prey.
Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle - Cicindela hirticollis, Judy Gallagher
Most of our local tiger beetles like sandy soil, possibly because it's easier for the larvae to burrow in sand. Multiple species can live in the same general area, but usually each species occupies a slightly different part of a habitat, or the species hunt at different times during the day. I saw this Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle in the same vicinity as Bronzed Tiger Beetles and Twelve-spotted Tiger Beetles on a beach at Leesylvania State Park.
One-spotted Tiger Beetle - Apterodela unipunctata, Judy Gallagher
Several species, including the Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, like upland bare soil habitat and can be found along forest trails. While these bright green beetles stand out against the forest trail, they virtually disappear when they fly into the vegetation. The One-spotted Tiger Beetle lives throughout upland forests, but is usually only seen along forest trails. I've only seen this species once.
Carolina Metallic Tiger Beetle - Tetracha Carolina, Judy Gallagher
Most of our local tiger beetles are out during the day but there are a couple of species that are strictly nocturnal. I therefore rarely see them, but this lovely Carolina Metallic Tiger Beetle was attracted to a black light.
As with other insects, there are many threats to tiger beetle species. Habitat loss is a problem, especially for species that have very specific habitat requirements. They are sensitive to pesticides and light pollution. Fire, which once kept forests relatively open, is now suppressed, causing environments to become overgrown and therefore not good tiger beetle habitat. I consider it a real privilege to see a tiger beetle, especially if I'm able to get close enough to photograph it. I hope you'll be fortunate enough to see some soon on your nature walks.
View more of Judy’s Observations from Meadowood articles here.