These insects are FAST, when they’re not occupied, that is. Tiger beetles have been clocked running at 1.38 feet per second (about 29 body lengths). That may not sound like a lot, but factoring in their size, it’s similar to a grizzly bear running over 135 miles per hour. They actually run so fast, that they outrun the capacity of their eyes and brain to process what they are seeing fast enough…so they literally run themselves blind and need to stop, look around and then continue their pursuit of their prey. This species is transcontinental in the north; in the south it ranges in the western mountains from New Mexico to California. Sandy areas near bogs, forests, bare rock, forest roads and trails are likely places for these beetles to turn up.
Size: 13-17 mm
Photo by: Peter Lesica around 5/23/22 near Rexford, MT