Mountain Bug love
October 16, 2009
Found these two love-bugs while hiking a mountain in the Hudson Valley region of New York state during late spring. I’m not sure what they are, but I think they’re in love 
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Tori
Hudson Valley, New York
Mating Purple Tiger Beetles
Hi Tori,
These are mating Tiger Beetles in the genus Cicindela. There are numerous species illustrated on BugGuide. We believe they may be Purple Tiger Beetles, Cicindela purpurea, though we would prefer to have an actual expert confirm the species ID. You can check out the photos and description of the Purple Tiger Beetle on BugGuide.
Dave Gracer’s comment
What’s cool about this pic is that the female has got some food, most likely supplied by the male as a token. In other words, sex for food. Other kinds of animals do this — I don’t know how many, but I know that roadrunners to it. Pretty fascinating, when you consider the possibility that there are some vague analogies in our species.
what is this called?
August 9, 2009
I don’t see these very often, but this one got inside or I wouldn’t have had to kill it. It is a gorgeous bug, with irridescent colours and moves really fast. and i’m just curious what it’s called.
thanks, Kelli
Griffin, Georgia
Carolina Tiger Beetle
Dear Kelli,
This is a harmless predatory Carolina Tiger Beetle, Tetracha carolina, also known as the Pan American Big Headed Tiger Beetle. Tiger Beetles are no threat to you, your family or your home. It probably was attracted to lights which is why it left its typical habitat of, according to BugGuide: “Sandbanks of rivers, pastures, open, disturbed areas. Often found near water. Nocturnal, found under boards, rocks, trash, etc. during day” and entered your home.
Unnecessary Carnage Comment
August 9, 2009
RE: unnecessary carnage
I love your site, and visit it several times a day. Many thanks for posting such lovely images and so much information (you helped me ID a one-eyed Sphinx moth here in Seattle)! I also love the fact that you tell folks when they have committed an act of unnecessary carnage, but sadly, you have been very hesitant to do so lately… Please don’t let one or two unhinged people keep you from providing a vital service- letting humans know that insects are innocent until proven guilty!
Leah S.
2 pollinators 1 fuzzy-legged jumper
July 31, 2009
1 green pollinator, 1 brown pollinator, 1 maybe cricket with fuzzy grayish fizz on legs…all at coast in San Luis Obispo County, CA
Denise
San Luis Obispo County, CA coast
probably Hairy Necked Tiger Beetle
Dear Denise,
It is impossible for us to respond to every email we receive, so we must select which letters get responses and further cull from those for posting. It is very difficult for us to deal with three different species in one letter. With that clarified, your “1 maybe cricket with fuzzy grayish fiss on legs” is actually a Tiger Beetle, in the genus Cicindela which has numerous species continent wide that resemble your individual. You may scan the possibilities on BugGuide as we have done in an attempt to properly identify your individual. We believe the Hairy-Necked Tiger Beetle, Cicindela hirticollis, it a strong candidate for the proper identification. According to BugGuide, it is found in California, and there is a photograph of a specimen collected in Marin County. There is also a set of photos of a live specimen in Ventura County. It also resembles the Pacific Coast Tiger Beetle, Cicindela bellissima, though the range of that species, according to BugGuide, is more north, though the range map might not be comprehensive. If you resubmit your other requests with more a more detailed letter, we may be able to provide an identification if time permits.
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Posted 01 August 2009
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Rainbow Bug
July 20, 2009
this is a bug we found wandering on the ground while playing with my son. Its colors were so brilliant in the sunlight that i captured it to get a better look. I think it is some kind of beetle because of its jaw…but its coloring is unlike anything ive ever seen. We live in east texas. Is this a common insect in this area? Thanks!
Intrigued in texas
East Texas
Carolina Tiger Beetle
Dear Intrigued,
We believe your gorgeous beetle is a Carolina Tiger Beetle, Tetracha carolina, based on photos posted to BugGuide. It is also called a Pan-American Big-headed Tiger Beetle. BugGuide also indicates: “Range Southern United States. In southeast: Virginia to Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana. Perhaps absent from Appalachians, though Brimley (1) reports it from Asheville, North Carolina. Also found in southwest, west to California. Habitat Sandbanks of rivers, pastures, open, disturbed areas. Often found near water. Nocturnal, found under boards, rocks, trash, etc. during day.”
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Posted 21 July 2009
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What kind of bug is this?!
July 13, 2009
Ok, we’ve been catching these things since i can remember and we’ve always called them doodlebugs, but after researching on the internet it seems that my family must be the only ones who call these doodlebugs! So, i’m just curious as to what they really are called. We always would catch these by sticking a long blade of grass or pine needle (anything long and slender) and wait for it to start moving and pushing back up and then just pull it up real fast and they would come flying out!
Also, when you touch them with something they will arch their backs real fast as if they try to stick you with whatever that hump towards the end of their body is. Is this some kind of stinger or something??
Thanks alot for your help!
Tim D.
Bastrop, LA
Tiger Beetle Larva
Hi Tim,
This is a Tiger Beetle Larva in the subfamily Cicindelinae. There is another insect commonly called a Doodlebug, and that is the larva of the Antlion. The method you describe for catching your Tiger Beetle Larva is almost identical to the method used by children to catch a true Doodlebug.
Tiger Beetle Larva Hole
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Posted 14 July 2009
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Green metallic beetle (?) love
Sat, May 30, 2009 at 4:40 PM
Hi Bugman, we found this handsome green couple on a sunny rock at Great Falls Park in MD (they were so preoccupied that they failed to even notice the garter snake we were watching mere inches away). I’m wondering if they’re borers of some kind since a large dead tree was nearby. Before they became engaged they moved very quickly and even ran over the snake’s back once or twice.Can you tell us what they are?–didn’t have any luck searching “iridescent green” and “metallic green” on the site. (Photo taken by Elizabeth Bouras)
Love the site and the new design. Thanks for your help!
Paula O’Keefe
Great Falls, MD, USA
Mating Six Spotted Tiger Beetles
Hi Paula,
This is a pair of Six Spotted Tiger Beetles, Cicindela sexguttata, a species with a relatively extensive range. According to BugGuide: “In the United States, found over much of the eastern and Great Plains states. Absent from the Gulf Coast area. Range continues into southeastern Canada.”
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Posted 31 May 2009
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Is this a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle?
Mon, May 18, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Hello,
I was digging in by backyard today when I came across this beautiful beetle. After looking through some Field Guides I guess it may be a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, but on of them said that they usually don’t occur in Michigan. I was hoping you could shed some light on what I found. It seemed to have been underground next to a nest of larvae feeding on a mouse or rat i dug out.
O. Keller
Port Sanilac, MI
Six Spotted Tiger Beetle
Dear O. Keller,
We believe you have correctly identified your Six Spotted Tiger Beetle. According to the data on BugGuide, Michigan is firmly part of the range of the species.
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Posted 19 May 2009
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Tiger Beetles
Sun, May 17, 2009 at 4:32 AM
Hi Lisa Anne and Daniel, thank you for your generous remarks of 5/10. Central WY has been cool and uncharacteristically cloudy this spring, Lepidoptera seem less evident and other orders more so. These tiger beetles especially have stood out. Please correct my i.d.s where necessary.
Your site is still the best!
Dwaine
near Casper, WY
Green Claybank Tiger Beetle???
Hi Dwaine,
Either the Montana Field Guide website Tiger Beetle page has a dearth of photos, or there is something currently wrong with it. When we tried clicking Green Claybank Tiger Beetle, Cicindela denverensis, we get a message that indicates “No photos are currently available.” Upon turning to BugGuide, we see that your specimen appears to match the pictured specimen posted there. The Festive Tiger Beetle – Cicindela scutellaris scutellaris is also noticeably absent from the Montana Field Guide site, but is present on BugGuide, though the common name Festive Tiger Beetle is not indicated. The habitat is listed as “Commonly found in dry sandy habitats with sparse vegetation such as blowouts, dune swales, and roads.” Once again, your photo matches the subspecies of this species posted on BugGuide. The subspecies is found in Alberta, Canada which borders Montana.
Festive Tiger Beetle???
Finally, the specimen that you have identified as a Beautiful Tiger Beetle is not listed on the Montana site. It does not resemble the images posted to BugGuide. We would be more inclined to identify it as the Bronzed Tiger Beetle or Common Shore Tiger Beetle, Cicindela repanda, based on images posted to BugGuide. It is listed on the Montana Field Guide Tiger Beetle page, but once again, “No photos are currently available.” We really believe a true expert in the genus is needed for positive identifications of Tiger Beetles, but we will post our tentative identifications nonetheless. Thanks Dwaine for your wonderful photos. Posting this entry ate up our allotted web time today and we have chores to attend to now.
Bronzed Tiger Beetle???
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Posted 17 May 2009
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Turquoise colored beetle
Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 8:23 AM
On Saturday 4/25/09 at 11:30 A.M. while hiking in the decidious woods of the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, I saw this pretty beetle sitting on a log by itself in the middle of an upland woods. It did exhibit any unusual behavior and it just sat there letting me take this picture.
Can you tell me what this is ?
The temp in the woods was 80 degrees and clear, with very little humidity
Kevin
Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois
Six Spotted Tiger Beetle
Hi Kevin,
This is a Tiger Beetle in the genus Cicindela. We believe it is a Six Spotted Tiger Beetle, Cicindela sexguttata, even though your photo reveals eight spots. This is a variable species and we did locate one image on BugGuide with markings nearly identical to your individual. Tiger Beetles are fierce predators. Several species of Tiger Beetles are endangered because of habitat loss.
Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 5:17 AM
Hi Daniel,
Thanks very much for the identification….very interesting. It does seem
to me that I have seen a few of these before, and always in deep woods.
They must prefer deep woods. As far as habitat loss, at least the woods
where I saw this one is an 80-acre tract of woods that has been in my family
for 20 years and will probably remain in the family.
Thanks again.
Kevin
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Posted 28 April 2009
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Hi
I am an American in Japan and thought you’d be interested in seeing what the tiger beetles here look like. They’re called hanmyou here.
I also included photos of a bagworm called a minomushi which means “straw raincoat”. They are a favorite of children here.
Melody McFarland
Yokosuka, Japan
Hi Melody,
Thank you for sending us your wonderful images as well as the language lesson. The jaws on that Hanmyou Tiger Beetle are quite formidable.
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Posted 09 December 2006
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Bagworm
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Let’s I.D.this one that whines when picked up
Bugman,
I’ve got another one for you, I have looked all around your beetle pages and can’t seem to id this one. When It was picked up it may a noise like a crying baby and once again we need you assistance to identify it. I thought it may be some type of stag beetle because of the jaws, but it just isn’t the right color. Thanks again, Tiffany
Hi Tiffany,
We thought this looked like one of the ground beetles, but we checked with Eric Eaton for a second opinion. Here is his response: “Well, yes, this is a carabid….sort of:-) Depends on whether you still consider tiger beetles a separate family! This looks to be a specimen of Megacephala virginica. If it has ivory marks on the tips of the wing covers then it is M. carolina. Yes, they are cool!” Tiger Beetles belong to the Family Cicindelidae and they are voracious hunters that prey on many injurious insects.
Update (08/22/2006)
Hello Lisa Anne and Daniel, I recently came across your website and I was pleased to see such a vibrant (and well-done) site. I’m an entomologist and evolutionary biologist (specializing on the systematics, taxonomy and evolution of tiger beetles and their close relatives) and I have to say that I’m impressed with your accuracy rate! It’s much, much better than other comparable sites I’ve come across over the years. The two of you must really love insects. In any case, I noticed that you are open to information from specialists, so I thought I’d give you a few ID’s of species that I came across on your pages. I was having trouble sleeping, so I went through all of the tiger beetles, scaratines, etc and checked them out. Here you go: I’ll bookmark your site and check it out when I’m having trouble sleeping again!
This is indeed a Megacephala (Tetracha) species, but actually M. carolina. You can most easily tell the two US species of Megacephala apart by coloration. M. carolina has a rainbow-colored back… red, green, and unpigmented cream-colored areas at the tip of the back (elytra). M. virginica is much bigger (17-22 mm) and is entirely dark metallic black-green on the back except for the cream-colored markings. It also has a noticeably rougher texture. Hope that helps! The whine is called “stridulation” and often occurs when some species of insects are picked up (a number of insects do this). And yes, the majority of professional insect systematists recognize tiger beetles as a subfamily/supertribe within the Carabidae. Nice photo!
Daniel P. Duran
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
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Posted 13 June 2005
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What’s this Canadian bug?
Hi – my dog tripped over this bug sitting on the ground at my cottage near Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada this past weekend. The bug was brilliant metallic-green/blue and did not fly or crawl away when the dog nudged it. About a thumbnail in length, quite spiney looking legs. Snow cover melted about 3 weeks ago. As you can see from picture, trees include; maples, birch, poplar, pine, spruce.
Do you know what it is? Is it a ‘good’ bug e.g. will not harm the trees?
Thanks, Susan.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for a beautiful photo of a Tiger Beetle, Family Cicindelidae. These are predatory beetles that definitely will not harm trees. They attack other insects. They are good fliers as well as great runners. Probably your guy was just lethargic because of the cold weather. They are also much prized by collectors. We are going to write Eric Eaton, a true expert, to see if we can get an exact species name for you.
Thanks so much for your reply. Since you identified it, I was able to search Internet to find information and articles – looks like different Canadian provinces have variety of different tiger beetles. Photos I saw close to my bug were from Ontario, however they had very distinct spots which I did not observe on my bug. Really interesting to read all about it. Lately I made a conscious decision to slow down and look and learn more about the wildlife who live where I live and visit. Just occurred to me this Spring how little I know about the bugs and other insects I frequently encounter in my wanderings – usually too distracted running from voracious hoards of black flies in Spring I guess!
Thanks, Susan.
Update (08/22/2006)
Hello Lisa Anne and Daniel, I recently came across your website and I was pleased to see such a vibrant (and well-done) site. I’m an entomologist and evolutionary biologist (specializing on the systematics, taxonomy and evolution of tiger beetles and their close relatives) and I have to say that I’m impressed with your accuracy rate! It’s much, much better than other comparable sites I’ve come across over the years. The two of you must really love insects. I’ll bookmark your site and check it out when I’m having trouble sleeping again!
That species of tiger beetle is Cicindela sexguttata. In Ontario they are quite variable in markings, ranging from no spots to six spots or in rare cases more than six.
Daniel P. Duran
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
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Posted 11 May 2005
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