Fast-running-insects

Guides

• Cicindelinae

  tiger beetles

  Cicindelinae is a subfamily of predatory beetles commonly known as tiger beetles. Adults are characterized by large eyes, long slender legs, and powerful mandibles adapted for capturing fast-moving prey. They exhibit a distinctive run-stop-run hunting pattern necessitated by their visual processing limitations at high speeds. The subfamily contains approximately 2,822 species in 120 genera distributed worldwide, though they are most diverse in tropical and subtropical regions. Many species show strong habitat specificity, with some restricted to particular sand dune systems, riparian zones, or rock outcrops.

  ColeopteraCarabidaetiger-beetlespredatory-beetlesCicindelinaeAdephagametallic-beetlessand-dune-endemicsriparian-beetlesextremophilesbiocontrolbiodiversity-indicatorsfast-running-insectsvisual-predatorsstructural-colorationterrestrial-beetlesground-beetlesinsect-taxonomyconservationentomology