# Festive Tiger Beetle (*Cicindela scutellaris*) The Festive Tiger Beetle is a colorful insect with shiny green and bronze colors. It loves to run fast on sandy paths and is often seen in sunny places, making it a fun little friend to spot! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Sandy areas ![Festive Tiger Beetle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Festive_Tiger_Beetle_%28Cicindela_scutellaris_unicolor%29_-_Jupiter_Ridge_Natural_Area_-_Palm_Beach_County%252C_Florida_-_%281%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Festive_Tiger_Beetle_%28Cicindela_scutellaris_unicolor%29_-_Jupiter_Ridge_Natural_Area_-_Palm_Beach_County%252C_Florida_-_%281%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Festive Tiger Beetle has a vibrant, iridescent body often displaying metallic greens, blues, reds, or purples. Its wing covers feature distinct yellow, orange, or white markings, making it stand out from plainer ground beetles and helping with camouflage. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Carabidae - **Genus:** Cicindela ## Interesting facts - Its larvae are sneaky 'pitfall trap' hunters, waiting in burrows to grab unsuspecting insects! - Some Festive Tiger Beetles can slightly change their body color to better match their sandy home! - These beetles have tiny hairs on their antennae that can 'smell' chemicals to find mates! - When running at top speed, they briefly go 'blind' and have to stop to relocate their prey! ## Special abilities - **Speed Demon:** Festive Tiger Beetle can run at incredible speeds, up to 9 km/h, because of its long, powerful legs that help them quickly chase prey. - **Sharp Sight:** Festive Tiger Beetle has large, bulging eyes that give them excellent vision, which helps them spot tiny prey and avoid predators. - **Camouflage Cloak:** Festive Tiger Beetle has iridescent colors that help them blend into sandy or mossy environments, making it harder for predators to spot them. - **Powerful Jaws:** Festive Tiger Beetle can quickly crush prey with its strong, sickle-shaped mandibles, which helps them overpower struggling insects. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 18-28 mm - **Size:** 9-14 mm - **Lifespan:** 30-90 days - **Flight Speed:** 24 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Both adult and larval Festive Tiger Beetles are fierce predators of small insects and other invertebrates. - **Age differences:** Larvae are ambush predators, waiting in burrows to snatch passing insects, while adults actively chase down prey. - **Primary Foods:** Ants, Small flies, Spiders, Caterpillars, Beetle larvae, Other small invertebrates - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Silky Ant (*Formica fusca*) — A frequent fast-moving meal on sandy terrain. - **Eaten by:** [Brown Thrasher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-thrasher) (*Toxostoma rufum*) — A common ground-feeding bird that preys on beetles. - **Eats:** Fiery Searcher Beetle (*Calosoma scrutator*) — Larger ground beetles can prey on tiger beetle larvae. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Be gentle and watch from a distance; they are small and can be easily scared. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Festive Tiger Beetle? Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Festive Tiger Beetle's wingspan? 18-28 mm ### How big is Festive Tiger Beetle? 9-14 mm ### How long does Festive Tiger Beetle live? 30-90 days ### How fast can Festive Tiger Beetle fly? 24 km/h ### What does Festive Tiger Beetle eat? Both adult and larval Festive Tiger Beetles are fierce predators of small insects and other invertebrates. ### Where is Festive Tiger Beetle usually found? Sandy areas ### How does Festive Tiger Beetle hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Gary City Center Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gary-city-center-historic-district) — Indiana, US · Historic District - [Glen Haven](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/glen-haven) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Franklin Falls Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/franklin-falls-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Hale Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hale-avenue-historic-district) — Arkansas, US · Historic District - [Lower Village District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-village-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Singletary Lake State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/singletary-lake-state-park) — North Carolina, US · State Park [View all places to see Festive Tiger Beetle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/festive-tiger-beetle) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Festive Tiger Beetle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/festive-tiger-beetle)