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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
Recent Examples on the Web
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
This is the only home of the coral pink sand dunes tiger beetle, distinguished by a metallic back stripe that flashes rose gold.
—National Geographic, 23 Jan. 2020
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Word History
First Known Use
1826, in the meaning defined above
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 1 Dec. 2024.
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
More from Merriam-Webster on tiger beetle
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tiger beetle
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