Tetracha

Adults can be distinguished from other Nearctic tiger beetle genera by their nocturnal activity, metallic coloration, and large mandibles. Tetracha floridana is distinguished from T. carolina by divergent anterior lobes of the apical lunules and uniformly black to dark green elytra lacking violet or coppery reflections. T. virginica is distinguished by solid green elytra without apical markings. Larvae are identified by simple, thorn-like outer hooks on the fifth abdominal hump (other eastern U.S. genera have distinctly curved outer hooks), white pronotal margin, and nearly equal-sized simple eyes.

Habitats vary by species. Tetracha floridana occurs in salt marsh and mud flat habitats along the Gulf coast of Florida. Tetracha virginica occupies diverse habitats including bottomland forests and is widespread throughout the southern two-thirds of the eastern U.S. Tetracha carolina occurs in disturbed, sparsely vegetated areas and agricultural fields with clay/loam soils. Larval burrows are found in moist to dry soils, often in vegetated areas rather than completely bare ground.

Exclusively New World. Approximately 100 described species distributed from the United States through Central and South America. In the United States, four species occur: T. carolina (southeastern states, north to Missouri), T. floridana (Florida Gulf coast, endemic), T. virginica (widespread in eastern U.S., southern two-thirds), and T. impressa (southern Texas and northern Mexico).

Adults are strictly nocturnal and have been observed active at night, including at street lamps and building lights. Activity patterns vary by species and locality.

Adults are predatory, feeding on ground-surface arthropods including insects such as corn rootworm larvae. They are fluid feeders: mandibles subdue and shred prey while maxillae and labium masticate tissues into a bolus, which is then liquified by proteolytic enzymes from the midgut and ingested via a pharyngeal pump. Larvae are sit-and-wait predators that seize passing prey from burrow entrances.

Larvae construct vertical burrows in soil, with third instar burrows approximately 8 mm in diameter. Larvae lie at burrow entrances to ambush prey, using abdominal hump hooks for traction. Development includes egg, larval (three instars), pupal, and adult stages. Rearing studies indicate development from third instar to adult can be completed in approximately two months under favorable conditions.

Adults are strictly nocturnal and fast-moving. They are frequently attracted to artificial lights at night. When approached, adults dash rapidly into vegetation. Females oviposit in soil among sparse vegetation, excavating holes with an eversible ovipositor. Larvae are sit-and-wait predators that remain at burrow entrances for limited periods, retreating when disturbed.

Predator of ground-surface arthropods. Larvae and adults function as invertebrate predators in their respective habitats.

Subject of entomological study due to taxonomic history and larval biology. Some species attracted to building and street lights, bringing them into human notice. Occasionally collected for study or photography.

• MegacephalaFormerly included Tetracha as a subgenus; distinguished by Old World distribution (Africa, Palearctic, Australia) versus exclusively New World distribution in Tetracha
• CicindelaDiurnal activity versus strictly nocturnal in Tetracha; larvae have curved outer hooks on abdominal hump versus simple thorn-like hooks in Tetracha
• AmblycheilaAlso has simple hooks on larval hump, but inner and outer hooks are distinctly separated; second pair of eyes distinctly smaller than first pair versus nearly equal in Tetracha
• OmusAlso has simple hooks, but bears three pairs rather than two pairs on larval hump; restricted to Pacific Coast versus broader distribution in Tetracha

• tiger beetle
• nocturnal
• metallic
• predator
• New World
• Cicindelidae

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• The Third of Florida’s Three Metallic Tiger Beetles | Beetles In The Bush
• Florida Metallic Tiger Beetle | Beetles In The Bush
• Why I Roamed the Marsh at Night | Beetles In The Bush
• A “Really” Big-headed Tiger Beetle | Beetles In The Bush
• Eye to eye to eye to eye with a tiger beetle larva | Beetles In The Bush
• Laboratory Evaluation ofTetracha carolina(Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) as a Predator of Ground-Surface Arthropods in an Old-Field Habitat