Tiger Beetles of West Virginia

Across West Virginia, many residents enjoy watching birds. Others have turned to butterfly watching and butterfly gardening, while a few have even discovered the state's many and beautiful dragonflies.

Like birds, butterflies, and dragonflies, Tiger Beetles have beautiful colors and interesting behaviors. As with the other creatures mentioned, many species of Tiger Beetle are uncommon or even rare, so observing them is a challenge. Observing Tiger Beetles is also a challenge because they aren't fond of big, dark, hulking things like humans, and they tend to fly or run away whenever humans appear.

Tiger Beetle behaviors are interesting to observe. As their name implies, they are fierce hunters. Naturalist John Acorn calls them "Killers on the clay, stalkers on the sand." Amateur Tiger Beetle watchers can observe juveniles lying in ambush and adults hunting, resting, flying, mating, and egg-laying. Yet despite their beauty and their interesting behaviors, Tiger Beetle watching is in its infancy. Regional field guides are only available for a handful of states or provinces. Most species do not even have common names! Some writers, like John Acorn, have gotten around this by making up common names. Others have fashioned common names by translating the Latin of the scientific name. This web page provides a quick introduction to the Tiger Beetles of West Virginia. It pictures six different species, provides a checklist of all the species found in the Mountain State, and ends with a bibliography. This web page is a part of the Stephen Cresswell nature photography website.

Terms Used in Tiger Beetle Descriptions

First, anyone who studies beetles needs to know that the term “elytra” refers to a beetle's two wing covers. These make up the big expanse of color and markings you see on the rear 2/3rds of the beetle. In front of the elytra is the more narrow pronotum. In front of the pronotum is the head, which includes the eyes, antennae, and mouth parts.

All Tiger Beetles descended from a single common ancestor. For this reason most Tiger Beetles have quite similar markings. The basic scheme of Tiger Beetle coloration is to have a background color with three sets of main markings on each of the elytra.

The first mark is typically on the Tiger Beetle's shoulder—the area of the elytra next to the pronotum. This mark is often called the humeral lunule, which translates to "the moon-shaped spot on the shoulder."

The second mark on the typical Tiger Beetle is called the middle band. In many cases it sort of zig-zags its way from the edges of the elytra toward the center.

The third mark on a typical Tiger Beetle is the apical mark, at the apex of the elytra, or in other words the beetle’s rearmost point.

In the discussions that follow we’ll discuss details about each species’ humeral lunule, middle band, and apical mark. Still, this is not an exact science. As in a litter of puppies or a gaggle of humans, there is some variation in markings and coloration from individual to individual.

Subject: Twelve-Spotted Tiger Beetle, Cicindela duodecimguttata Location: Monongahela National Forest, Randolph County, West Virginia Stock Number: 2471 Comments: Identifying this species can be tricky. Sometimes the markings are broken up and you will be able to count twelve spots. In other individuals, like the one pictured above, the markings are not broken up and you would be more likely to say that there are six marks rather than twelve. Check that the humeral lunule is well-separated from the middle band. Certain similar species will have the humeral lunule touching or nearly touching the middle band. Note that the humeral lunule may be broken or it may be intact, but in either case it should be well-separated from the middle band. Other signs to look for, if you have the beetle in hand, are a hairy forehead and the body itself (seen from below) that is iridescent blue-green. The Twelve-Spotted Tiger Beetle is found in almost every corner of the United States, save California and parts of the Southwest, and the southern tip of Florida. In West Virginia it is found statewide. Look for this species along the shores of ponds, rivers, and streams. It is sometimes found in the damp areas of abandoned strip mines, too. These beetles should be pretty easy to find—they're not scarce in the Mountain State.

Subject: Twelve-Spotted Tiger Beetle, Cicindela duodecimguttata Location: Upshur County, West Virginia Stock Number: 5-0126 Comments: Unlike the previous photo, this one shows a Twelve-Spotted Tiger Beetle that actually has twelve spots. One is on each shoulder and these are not visible in this photo.

Subject: Common Shore Tiger Beetle, Cicindela repanda Location: Upshur County, West Virginia Stock Number: 5-0459 Comments: This species is colored somewhat like the Twelve-Spotted Tiger Beetle, shares the same riparian habitat, and is common like the Twelve-Spotted. One difference between the two species is that this species is less likely to have its markings broken up into spots or dashes. Also note that on this species the humeral lunule nearly touches, or does touch, the middle band. The range of Cicindela repanda in North America is nearly identical to that of C. duodecimguttata. In West Virginia, both species are found statewide, and in fact the two may be found together. As with so many other West Virginia Tiger Beetles, this species is more often seen in late Spring or late Summer rather than during the weeks of mid-Summer. Typically these beetles are a bronzy brown. The individual pictured above had somewhat of a greenish tint as well.

Tiger Beetles of West Virginia: Pages 1 2 3

Stock Photography Index Page: by Common Name

Stock Photography Index Page: by Latin Name

Stock Photography Index Page: by Locale

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