TINY TUESDAY

This is one of the myriad forms of Tiger Beetles that inhabit the world. They are not called Tigers because they are striped but because, like the tiger, they are voracious predators and have mandibles so large they actually criss-cross each other (see my Blip of March 30th for a macro view of a similar individual). 

They are true beetles and belong to the Subfamily Cicindelinae. They are all about 1/2+ inch long (12-15mm) and come in a variety of colors. The one shown is Cicendela sp. characterized by a brilliant metallic color.

They are also among the fastest of the crawling insects (yes, they fly like most beetles) and some species are known to run at 5.6mph (9km/h) or about 125 body lengths per second...a skill which undoubtedly comes in handy when chasing down prey. They are loads of fun to watch, especially if you are lucky enough to see them catch and eat some lunch.

It isn't yellow (challenge theme) but green is next week so I'm just a week early.

EXTRA: A tighter crop of the image above. Best seen in Large.