Tiger Beetles are large predatory beetles well known for their speed and aggressive hunting of other insects.  They occur in a wide variety of habitats throughout New Jersey.  They are often highly dependent on natural disturbance to maintain their habitats such as wildfires or natural stream flooding of floodplains.  Many species are coastal and only live along our beaches and marshes or among the dunes.  Their larvae are ambush predators that live in burrows often in open patches of sandy or soil exposed areas of habitat.  Loss of habitat and natural disturbance processes as well as human disturbance have negatively impacted many species, particularly those who find their homes on the beach. 

Tiger Beetle Species of Conservation Concern 

Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle – Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis (Federally Endangered) 

Southeastern Beach Tiger Beetle – Habroscelimorpha dorsalis media 

Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle – Cicindela hirticolis 

Margined Tiger Beetle – Ellipsoptera marginata 

Clay-bank Tiger Beetle – Cicindela limbalis 

Cobblestone Tiger Beetle – Cicindela marginipennis 

Ghost Tiger Beetle – Ellipsoptera lepida 

New Jersey Pinebarrens Tiger Beetle – Cicindela patruela consentanea 

Common Tiger Beetles 

Bronze Tiger Beetle – Cicindela repanda 

Twelve-spotted Tiger Beetle – Cicindela duodecimguttata 

Eastern Sand Tiger Beetle – Cicindela formosa generosa 

Cow Path Tiger Beetle – Cicindela purpurea 

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle – Cicindela sexguttata 

Festive Tiger Beetle – Cicindela scutellaris 

Oblique-lined Tiger Beetle – Cicindela tranquebarica 

Eastern Pinebarrens Tiger Beetle – Cicindela abdominalis 

Eastern Red-bellied Tiger Beetle – Cicindela rufiventris 

S-banded Tiger Beetle – Cicindela trifasciata 

Punctured Tiger Beetle – Cicindela punctulata 

One-spotted Tiger Beetle – Cylindera unipunctata 

Virginia Big-headed Tiger Beetle – Tetracha virginica 

Unknown or Uncertain Status

Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle – Cicindela patruela 

Appalachian Tiger Beetle – Cicindela ancocisconensis