Máistir Nádúraí: Tiger Beetles: 2018 Season

10.31.2018

Tiger Beetles: 2018 Season

"We know that this interest in tiger beetles is not mystical, but if you talk to tiger beetle aficionados about their hobby or study, many of them will not be able to explain the source of what the uninitiated may see as mania."

― A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of US & Canada

Six-spotted (May)

As October draws to a close, so too does 2018's Tiger Beetle Season. I found 11 species in just 2 counties, Sauk and Dane. A total of 16 tiger beetle species can be found in Wisconsin, but some require driving to the northern part of the state. My most productive locations were the Sauk City Canoe Launch along the Wisconsin River and Spring Green Preserve's desert prairie. As is almost always the case, Six-spotted was my first tiger beetle of the year, found in May along the creek corridor. And the finale was photographing Splendid Tiger Beetles at Spring Green's rocky outcroppings at the top of the bluff. The greatest seasonal discovery was finding Ghost Tiger Beetles at a vacant sandlot near the canoe launch, but I suspect it's slated for future housing development. Even if that happens, I'm hopeful they'll continue to be found in the Sauk area. My personal favorite 2018 tiger beetle portrait is the Hairy-necked you'll find below. Not that they're capable of showing expression, I think the beetle may have been a little annoyed with me pursuing it.

Anyway, here they are!

Bronzed (May)

Festive (June)

Big Sand (June)

Oblique-lined (July)

Punctured (July)

Ghost (July)

Sandy Stream (July)

Hairy-necked (July)

Virginia Metallic (August)

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range rifles. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom Shop 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry.