The tiger beetles

I put together the tiger beetle page mainly so that I would organize what I have seen, to let others know what I am finding in central Wisconsin, and ultimately to learn more about tiger beetles. I really only started looking at tiger beetles in 2004 when the butterfly and ode watching was slow.

Tiger beetle watching is every bit as much fun as the other insects, and at first I would have said that taking close-up photos of tiger beetles was much more difficult than either butterflies or dragonflies, but I am starting to find more tiger beetles that are very willing to pose while I move the camera to within inches to take their photos.

There are several tiger beetle web sites that might be useful, but a book by Paul M. Choate Jr., A Field Identification Manual for Florida and the Eastern U. S. Tiger Beetles, was the most useful reference. In 2006 A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States by David L. Pearson, C. Barry Knisley, and Charles J. Kazilek was published and is a very useful guide that gives considerably more information about the Wisconsin tiger beetles. The Common names of the tiger beetles were taken from this book. Many thanks to Bill Smith of the Wisconsin DNR and Harry Zirlin for help in identification and patience with my questions. I also wish to thank Mathew Brust for the added notes on the species, directions to tiger beetle sites, and for providing the maps which he published in 2003 (Brust, M. L. 2003. Distribution records for Wisconsin tiger beetles. Cicindela 35: 23–31). Matt did a lot of work with tiger beetles in Wisconsin when he was here, but he now is living in Nebraska and has helped with this Nebraska tiger beetle web site here.