Our insect of the week for February 10, 2025 is Tetracha virginica [COLEOPTERA: Cicindelidae]. This is part 9 in our series featuring local tiger beetles (and the last species we will feature in this series). This species was described by Linnaeus in 1767. Let us know in the comments if you liked this approach featuring multiple species in a single insect family for several weeks. There are so many insects in central Illinois we have yet to discuss.

This species has the common name – Virginia big-headed tiger beetle. It is typically found in open grassy areas (including the edges of lakes and rivers). It can be common in suburban areas (unless lawns are treated with insecticides – a far too common practice in central Illinois – yes, that was an editorial comment by Mark).

The beetle shown here was collected by Gordon Adams in Peoria County, Illinois, in August, 1973. This copyrighted photo was created by stacking nearly 200 photos together to generate each of these photos. The top photo is the dorsal view of the beetle; the middle photo is a lateral view of the beetle; and the bottom photo is the frontal view of the beetle.