TIGER BEETLES

     Tiger beetles are a group of attractive, related insects that are interesting, but not well known.  Three kinds of them, including beautiful tiger beetles, six-spotted, green tiger beetles and dainty tiger beetles, live in the northeastern United States, but not often seen there.  

     Being related, adult tiger beetles have several traits and habits in common, which indicates their common ancestry.  They are all predators, feeding on small insects and spiders.  All are less than an inch long, have six long legs that allows them to run fast to track down prey, large eyes to easily see their victims, and they are camouflaged to avoid larger predators that would ingest them.  That blending in also makes them difficult for us to see in their habitats.  These beetles are also diurnal, sun-loving and have powerful, sickle-like jaws to tear apart critters they caught.

     As larvae, tiger beetles again have characteristics in common.  Females of each kind lay eggs singly in soil or sand, depending on the species.  Newly-hatched larvae burrow straight down a bit in soil or sand to create a vertical shaft to the surface.  Each S-shaped grub, with a big head, rests vertically in its burrow and waits for tiny insects and spiders to go by.  Each larva uses its powerful jaws to grab victims and pull them down into its shaft while using two hooks on its abdomen to brace itself in its hole.   There each immature tiger beetle devours its prey.  

     Each tiger beetle larvae grows to full size, then pupates in its burrow.  It later emerges from its sanctuary as an adult beetle with six legs and two wings.          

     Beautiful tiger beetles are that, with lovely, patterned chocolate-brown and beige on wing covers over their abdomens.  They live among scattered vegetation in sandy habitats where they blend in.

     Six-spotted, green tiger beetles are bright, metallic green with about four white spots on wing covers near their rear.  This is the kind of tiger beetle I'm most likely to see near home.  These attractive tiger beetles live and hunt prey along sunny, bare, woodland paths. 

     Dainty tiger beetles are pale beige-gray and live in sandy areas near beaches.  These lovely beetles are really hard to spot because of their blending in with the sand.   

     Tiger beetles are related to each other and have many traits in common.  Though not easy to see, they are enjoyable to experience when spotted, especially when running down prey.

     

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DADDY-LONG-LEGS

     During summer, over the years in southeastern Pennsylvania, I've seen many daddy-long-legs on the bark of tree trunks on lawns, and in parks and woods.  They blend into the color of tree bark well and are difficult to see.  Many people never see them at all until those camouflaged little critters are pointed out by people in the know about them.        Daddy-long-legs have eight, really long, thin legs, but they are not spiders.  But they are arachnids, and related to spiders.  These attractive, little creatures, called daddy-long-legs because of their long legs, have quarter-inch, compact bodies raised on stilt-like legs.  They have two dark eyes and feel the vibrations of birds and other predators with their legs.  But these arachnids have no venom, or silk to make webs.        Daddy-long-legs, like all other living beings, are part of several food chains.  They consume tiny invertebrates and decaying plant and animal materials they find on tree bark.  And, in turn, many of
Read more

SPRING ON THE UPPER CHESAPEAKE

      I visited the Upper Chesapeake Bay at the Community Park of Northeast, Maryland one afternoon about the middle of March a few years ago, as I had several times in different seasons before that day.  This time, I went there to spot migrating water birds of various kinds.        Because of their high numbers, gulls and ducks were the dominant birds on the ice, and strips of open water among the slabs of ice because of the warming weather in March.  Most of the handsome ring-billed, herring and great black-backed gulls stood picturesquely on slabs of ice.        The attractive, adult ring-billed and herring gulls are mostly gray on top, white below, and look much alike, except the herrings are larger and have a red mark on their beaks, whereas each ring-bill has a black "ring" around its bill.  Largest of these gulls, the stately, mature black-backs have black backs and upper wings and are white below, making a striking, attractive plumage pattern.        All three of thos
Read more

MY FAVORITE DRAGONFLIES

     Visibly active during summer months, white-tailed and twelve-spotted skimmers are common, related species of dragonflies living in southeastern Pennsylvania, and much of the United States.  These kinds of dragonflies have characteristics in common, which demonstrates their shared ancestry.  And they are my favorite dragonflies.   They are large enough to be easily seen in rapid flight, have attractive color patterns and are excitedly fast when sweeping low over cattail-bordered ponds, grass-lined, slow-moving creeks and bordering farmland after flying insects, including lots of mosquitoes, which they catch and eat.  And, interestingly, they hover like helicopters.  Dragonflies are thrilling, entertaining and inspiring to watch, without fear of being stung or bitten by them.  Their beauties and dashing flamboyance help make summer waters come to life.      Both these kinds of skimmers are two inches long and have three inch wing spans, making them quite visible in flight.  They are
Read more