Tiger Beetle

super fast · fierce hunter · insects

Incredibly speedy runners. The fastest tiger beetle, Rivacindela hudsoni, can run at 9 km/h, which is about 125 body lengths per second. Imagine if you could run 125 of your own body lengths in one second, that's how fast these beetles zoom across the ground!

Aggressive tiny predators. Tiger beetles hunt other insects with fierce determination and are known for their aggressive predatory habits. They're like little lions of the insect world, pouncing on prey with incredible speed.

Found across the globe. There are about 2,600 different species and subspecies of tiger beetles, and they're most common in tropical regions like Southeast Asia and Central and South America. You can find them almost everywhere on Earth except in the coldest places.

Recently reclassified beetles. For a long time, scientists grouped tiger beetles as part of the ground beetle family, but since 2020, they've been recognized as their own special family called Cicindelidae. This shows how scientists are always learning new things about how animals are related.

Big eyes and jaws. Tiger beetles have large eyes to spot prey and strong jaws to catch and eat other insects. Their whole body is designed to be the perfect hunter.