Flashy Tiger Beetle

Description

Beautiful diurnal tiger beetles, brown with cream spots and metallic highlights. These are day-active beetles with voracious appetites for small prey. They take fruit flies well and will even eat other live prey like crickets and roaches with a little help. House flies are a good size and softer-bodies too, making it easy for the beetles if they cooled in the fridge prior to feeding so they are not as active in flying away.

No live guarantee on these as their remaining lifespan is unknown but they are fresh spring specimens. Their care in captivity is just not well-documented and their low price at $4 each reflects the lack of a live guarantee.

Current specimens are Cicindelidea sedecimpunctata, the Western red-bellied tiger beetle. These are smallish beetles but still a hoot to watch! A little heat on the tank will cause them to be much more active hunters, although they also need more regular feedings and the light should be turned off at night. See photos at Bugguide.net