Virginia Metallic Tiger Beetle

Description:

This robust beetle with a green luster has a body length of 20-25 mm. The elytra are dark green to black toward the center turning a bright metallic green toward the edges. Elytral markings are absent and the last abdominal segment, along with the antennas, legs and mouthparts, are pale orange to yellowish-brown.

Habitat:

Adults of this almost entirely nocturnal species are active from July into October. They are solitary in nature and not commonly seen because they actively hunt at night and hide by day under ground litter, such as rocks and debris. When encountered, they are usually running rapidly on the ground in damp riparian habitats, such as the margins of streams and rivers, both in the open and among vegetation. Adults can often be captured near lights at night feeding on other insects.

Notes:

Tiger beetles eagerly feed on a variety of small insects and other Arthropods, such as ants and spiders. .