Subject: Tiger Beetle hunting behaviour?
Location: Short Hills Provincial Park, Thorold, Ontario
July 14, 2015 4:52 am
Hi WTB!
I thought you might like these pictures of tiger beetles I took at Short Hills Provincial Park. I like how one is a brilliant green and the other is a more sapphire colour. I noticed both beetles making a pose where they leaned back, almost as if to get a better view of their surroundings. Do you know if that’s a hunting behaviour or perhaps a reaction to my presence?
It was a very colourful day for bugs, as you can see — I was also able to see many Ebony Jewelwings, and they exhibited a similar range of colours. Some were a lighter aquamarine colour, and some, like the last picture provided, were more of an indigo colour.
Anyway, I love your site, and hope you enjoy these pictures even if you don’t post them. Thank you for the great service you provide 🙂
Signature: Brad
Dear Brad,
Your Tiger Beetle images are beautiful. The green individual is a Six Spotted Tiger Beetle, and according to BugGuide, it is described as: “Brilliant green coloration with six white spots distinctive. Occasional variation: bluish overall color, or spots missing.” That could mean that both of your images are the same species. Tiger Beetles are excellent hunters with good eyesight, and they are quite wary of people, so we are uncertain if the behavior you witnessed is typical hunting behavior or the result of sensing a large human nearby. We will create a separate posting for your Ebony Jewelwing image.
