"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."
― Jawaharlal Nehru
Wow ― what a phenomenal Tiger Beetle Year! 2021 was the closest I've come to observing all sixteen tiger beetles that can be found in Wisconsin, missing only Northern Barrens and Boreal Long-lipped. Well, I should clarify that it was the first year I attempted to find them all. Northern Barrens would have been easy to get had I not been a little late on my visit to Necedah NWR. Ah well, it doesn't matter. It's always nice to have something to look forward to in 2022. So, let's have a look at my favorite tiger beetle portraits of the past season, shall we?
Some tiger beetles can be found late March on warm days, but April is the month when most species emerge from their burrows, having overwintered as adults or morphed from larva. Not all species overwinter as adults and many perish as the fall season closes. Six-spotted Tiger Beetle (above) is often one of the first species I see near the beginning of beetling season, but also Splendid Tiger Beetles (below) emerge in April.
Next we have a Common Claybank Tiger Beetle hanging out in the same habitat as the Splendids. I do wonder if these are a truly different species or a variant, but for now I'm counting them. The coppery thorax is allegedly diagnostic for Claybank, but the genetic differences are slight between them and Splendids. Some DNA studies indicate they may indeed be the same species, but the jury is still out.
The once difficult to find Ghost Tiger Beetle is now a veritable sure-thing at Sauk Prairie Recreational Area. For just a few weeks during summer there are hundreds of them scurrying about the sandy habitat on the northeast side of the property. I thought I would never find this species when I first began photographing tiger beetles almost two decades ago. Small and quick, they're near the top of my list in terms of the enjoyment of capturing nifty portraits.
Mid-season is when Punctured Tiger Beetles emerge, and once they do they're often the most common tiger beetle, especially at Spring Green Preserve, Pheasant Branch, and many of my other insects haunts.
Using Google Earth, I scouted a new beach on private property along the Wisconsin River. It turned out to be another great location for Sandy Stream Tiger Beetles and was the spot where I captured one of my all-time favorite portraits of this species.
Most of the Big Sand Tiger Beetles I come across in southern Wisconsin take on more of a brown color, so I was pretty thrilled to find one exhibiting a purple-toned thorax and head. This gorgeous beetle was found at the same private property as the Sandy Stream above.
Hairy-necked Tiger Beetles were rather scarce this season. I found only two individuals at the Sauk City Canoe Launch, a favorite tiger beetle haunt.
Mark Johnson and I stumbled across this remarkably stunning blue and purple Festive Tiger Beetle at Spring Green Prairie. It was an extremely speedy insect, taking 20 to 30 foot escape flights at a time. Thankfully, with the two of us tracking it I was finally able to obtain a few portraits of it.
The highlight of the 2021 Tiger Beetle Season was traveling northward to find and photograph Cow Path Tiger Beetles. Mark Johnson and I teamed up with Lori Widmann to meet Bob Jacobson at the location near Bloomer, Wisconsin. Within a few minutes of searching we found our quarry, and then at least a dozen more over the course of the outing. Lifer #15!
The Bloomer location also held Punctured, Festive, Big Sand, and Oblique-lined Tiger Beetles ― a great new location, but perhaps not one I'll drive to every season.
A late season non-bug hunt trip to Devil's Lake rendered a surprise Twelve-spotted Tiger Beetle ― I wasn't expecting that! Always a nice find, even better when one isn't necessarily looking for one.
Crepuscular and nocturnal, the Virginia Metallic is always a challenging tiger beetle to find and photograph, and as per usual this species is more prevalent during the second half of summer. Unlike other tiger beetles, their escape strategy seldom includes flight ― instead they run nonstop until they can find good cover (rocks, stumps, branches, etc.) to avoid capture.
Perhaps the most interesting observation was finding several Bronzed Tiger Beetles scavenging a dead carp at the Sauk City Canoe Launch. Source of food were two-fold: Not only were they capturing small flying insects attracted to the fish, the tiger beetles sucked up the blood as well. The things you learn! Actually, I had read in one of my insect books that some tiger beetle species do scavenge, so it wasn't a complete surprise.
And that's it!
All images © 2022 Mike McDowell