Tiger Beetle

Tiger Beetles are a large group of beetles, from the Cicindelinae subfamily, known for their aggressive predatory habits and running speed. Rivacindela hudsoni, the fastest species of tiger beetle now understood, has a top speed of 9 km/h (5.6 mph; 2.5 m/s), or roughly 125 body lengths per second. About 2,600 species and subspecies were known as of 2005, with the Neotropics and the Oriental (Indo-Malayan) regions having the highest diversity levels.

Broad, protruding eyes, long, slender legs, and large, curved mandibles are common features of tiger beetles. Both as adults and as larvae, all are predators. Tiger beetle larvae live in cylindrical holes that can be up to a meter deep. They are large-headed, hump-backed grubs that can flip backward to catch food insects that scurry across the ground. The swift adults chase after their prey while flying exceedingly quickly, with reaction times comparable to those of common houseflies. In the tropics, some tiger beetles are arboreal, while the majority run on the ground's surface.