Tiger beetles are the hot rods of the insect world. But aside from their bright metallic colors and speed, their body shape is distinctive.
Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle
Cinindela sexguttata
Family:
Carabidae (ground beetles) in the order Coleoptera (beetles)
Description:
The six-spotted tiger beetle is probably the most familiar tiger beetle in Missouri. It’s most often seen in spring, as it darts in and out of trails just ahead of hikers. Even if you get only a glimpse of one, you can identify it not only by its shiny green color but also by its fast-running and fast-flying behavior.
The larvae of this and other tiger beetles are pale or tan and grublike, with six legs, and have strong pincers at the mouth. There’s usually a hump behind the rather large head. They dig holes down into the ground and rest near the entrance.
Learn more about this and other tiger beetles on their group page.
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Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle
The six-spotted tiger beetle (Cinindela sexguttata) is one of the most familiar tiger beetles in Missouri. It’s most often seen in spring, as it darts in and out of trails just ahead of hikers.
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Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle
The six-spotted tiger beetle belongs to a subtribe of tiger beetles called the "flashy tiger beetles."
Similar Species
Tiger Beetles
Subfamily Cicindelinae (about 100 species in North America)
Japanese Beetle
Popillia japonica
Green June Beetle
Cotinis nitida
Emerald Ash Borer
Agrilus planipennis
Dogbane Beetle
Chrysochus auratus
Rainbow Scarab
Phanaeus vindex
Leaf Beetles
About 2,000 species in North America
Dung Beetles (Tumblebugs)
Subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae
Scarab Beetles
About 1,700 species in North America north of Mexico
Oil Beetles
Meloe spp.
About Land Invertebrates in Missouri
Invertebrates are animals without backbones, including earthworms, slugs, snails, and arthropods. Arthropods—invertebrates with “jointed legs” — are a group of invertebrates that includes crayfish, shrimp, millipedes, centipedes, mites, spiders, and insects. There may be as many as 10 million species of insects alive on earth today, and they probably constitute more than 90 percent all animal species.