How to identify tiger beetles: 5 key characters that always work

Tiger beetles are among the more identifiable beetles in the field — if you know which characters to look at. Most species-level identifications, or at least genus-level placements, are achievable from good photographs using the five characters below.

1. Body size and shape (habitus)

The matrix records sk_body_length_mm across all taxa. Size ranges from under 7 mm in some Neocollyris subspecies to 65 mm in Manticora. More useful is overall proportions: are the elytra broadest at the shoulder or the middle? Is the head wider than the pronotum? Is the pronotum cylindrical (arboreal genera) or wide and flat (ground-dwellers)?

2. Elytral maculation pattern

The pale maculation pattern on the elytra — the combination of humeral lunule, middle band, and apical lunule — is the most-used character in keys. The matrix records pattern type at genus and subtribe level. Ground-dwelling Cicindelini typically show three discrete maculation elements; Collyridini are plain metallic with no maculation; Manticorini are plain matte black.

3. Mandible structure

Mandible length relative to head width, and the number and position of teeth, are genus-level characters. Odontocheila — "toothed margin" — has serrated elytral edges visible to the naked eye. Amblycheila — "blunt margin" — has smooth elytra and proportionally shorter mandibles. In most genera, simple mandible length (longer = more cursorial pursuit predator; shorter = ambush or prey-immobilisation specialist) is diagnostic to tribe level.

4. Habitat and substrate

Habitat alone eliminates most genera. An arboreal species on bark in a Bornean rainforest is almost certainly Collyridini. A large matte-black beetle on sandy soil in southern Africa at night is almost certainly Manticora. Ground-dwelling Cicindelini on European chalk downland are reduced to a handful of species. The matrix's sk_habitat_type field is directly translatable to field habitat assessment.

5. Activity time and behaviour

Diurnal, crepuscular, or nocturnal? Most Cicindelidae encountered in full sunlight on open ground are Cicindelini. Beetles found on tree trunks at dusk in tropical forest are likely Collyridini. Large, flightless beetles active after dark in arid habitats in Africa or North America are likely Manticorini. The matrix records activity time for all 3,717 taxa in the sk_activity_time field.