tiger beetle

noun

: any of numerous active carnivorous beetles (family Cicindelidae) having larvae that tunnel in the soil

Examples of tiger beetle in a Sentence

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Equipped with tiny cilia which reflect the relentless rays of the sun, and legs so long as to be something from a surreal piece of art, the tiger beetle is uniquely suited to handle the unforgiving heat of southeastern Asian islands. Tony Bradley, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 During those two summers, Gough ultimately succeeded in finding seven species of tiger beetles. Ari Daniel, NPR, 22 May 2024 Half a century later, Tallamy is alarmed by the loss of insect abundance and diversity on nearly every continent, from butterflies and bumblebees to tiger beetles and aquatic insects such as stone flies. Emily Underwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023 But uniquely, the tiger beetle usually rolls uphill. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2011 The beaches are home to the beautiful coastal tiger beetle (Cicindela dorsalis media). Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2011 The Nogahabara is also home to the sandy tiger beetle and the Alaska tiny shrew, which are both found almost nowhere else in the state. Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Sep. 2022 When an ant colony went hunting small insects on a dry river bed in Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, India, a tiger beetle began to pick off some of the ants. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2020 The ants are outpaced only by a few invertebrates, including a mite from California, Paratarsotomus macropalpis, and an Australian tiger beetle, Cicindela hudsoni, which can move at speeds of 377 and 171 body lengths per second, respectively. Jake Buehler, National Geographic, 16 Oct. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiger beetle was in 1826

Dictionary Entries Near tiger beetle

Cite this Entry

“Tiger beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiger%20beetle. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

tiger beetle

noun
: any of numerous active beetles with strong jaws that eat other insects, have larvae which build tunnels in the soil, and include some capable of giving a painful bite

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