Our insect of the week for January 20, 2025 is Cicindela scutellaris [COLEOPTERA: Cicindelidae]. This is part 6 in our series featuring local tiger beetles. This species was described by the American entomologist, Thomas Say, in 1823. Seven subspecies of this beetle are presently recognized.

This species has the common name – festive tiger beetle. It typically has a life cycle of 2 years. Both adults and third instar larvae have been documented overwintering. These beetles are often found in sandy habitats. Like most tiger beetles, both larvae and adults are preators. They often feed on ants.

The beetle shown here was collected by our former member, Gordon Adams, in Peoria County, Illinois, in August, 1964. This copyrighted photos below were created by stacking nearly 200 photos together to generate each single photo you see. The top photo shows the insect in dorsal view, the middle photo shows the insect in lateral view, and the bottom photo shows the insect in frontal view.