Techniques for Studying Tiger Beetles - Rearing

by John Acorn

The Cicindelidae, commonly called tiger beetles, make exceptionally interesting subjects for study in captivity. Most North American tiger beetles belong to the genus Cicindela although there are a few other genera, the members of which are nocturnal. Cicindela are active, often attractive, and easy to keep if simple precautions are observed.

To obtain Cicindela, all one has to do is find an open, bare area (sand, gravel, clay or alkali soils are often productive), and walk about on it, watching for beetles to fly up about 2 meters ahead.  Once a Cicindela is located, simply sneak up on it with a net (it is almost impossible to catch them without one), and quickly place it over the beetle Then it can be removed with the fingers, and placed in a bottle of some sort.

Some people would shudder at this suggestion, after seeing the dangerous-looking mandibles, but after a few hundred tiger beetle bites, I can assure you that not even the largest of them can do better than a slight pinch.

Once you get your captives home, you can start thinking about preparing a place for them. An ordinary glass-walled aquarium is a perfect container, and any size from 1 gallon (about 4 liters) up will do nicely. I personally prefer a size of about 5 gallons (40cm X 25cm X 20cm). The first step in preparing the aquarium is to fill it with about 2 1/2 cm of soil or sand, preferably of the same type on which the beetles were found. It should be deeper in one corner so they can dig burrows in it at night. A flat rock may be placed in this corner, as they may prefer to burrow under that. Another corner should be kept constantly moist by pouring a small amount of water on it every day. Tiger beetles obtain moisture from wet ground, on which they "chew" to get water out of it.  Failure to keep a watered area will cause the beetles to die of desiccation. This can happen very quickly--one or two days without water will kill most Cicindela. There should be no plants in the terrarium, as they will be uprooted or trampled, and serve no purpose.

A sheet of glass, or netting makes a good lid, which will prevent the beetles from flying out. Above the entire setup there should be a light source. I use a 60 watt incandescent light, as it provides both light and heat.

Tiger beetles are voracious carnivores, and feeding them is usually no problem. They will eat almost anything they can sink their mandibles into. Flies, worms, crickets or any other small creatures make fine Cicindela food. In the winter they can be fed mealworms or other things that can be reared as food. They will also, if given the chance, eat other tiger beetles, but this is rare if the beetles are all of the same size.

A tank full of living cicindelids can provide hours of fascinating observation, as tiger beetles, unlike most other beetles, are always "on the go." Their actions are always interesting, and sometimes even comical. Keeping an accurate note book on the habits of your "tigers" makes keeping them even more enjoyable, and your records will have scientific value.

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