Pam’s Perspective<\/p>\n
From the\u2026<\/p>\n
Pam Otto is the Manager of Natural Programs and<\/p>\n
Interpretive Services for the St. Charles Park District<\/p>\n
May 17, 2013<\/p>\n
I’ve never, by any stretch of the imagination, been considered quick. I can’t dash, I don’t<\/p>\n
dart. In fact, the only time I recall moving with any speed at all was once when I was<\/p>\n
being chased by a horde of angry wasps.<\/p>\n
A flat-out sprint, and they still got me.<\/p>\n
Given that track record, it’s only fitting that much of the wildlife I know best is, well,<\/p>\n
slow. Snails, for example. We all know what pace they move at. And freshwater mussels,<\/p>\n
bless their little two-chambered hearts; they make snails seem like speeding maniacs.<\/p>\n
So imagine my delight when, amid last week’s rain and cool temperatures, I stumbled<\/p>\n
on an insect that usually far exceeds my capacity to keep up: the six-spotted tiger<\/p>\n
beetle.<\/p>\n
Several of these normally fast-as-lightning insects had taken refuge from the weather by<\/p>\n
retreating into burrows in the clay-ey piles of shale we have arranged in the Hickory<\/p>\n
Knolls Natural Area. All would have been well for the beetles, except that the shale piles<\/p>\n
were there for 375 Haines Middle School geology students to dig through in search of<\/p>\n
fossils.<\/p>\n
Besides unearthing Ordovician brachiopods and<\/p>\n
bryozoans, the kids also brought up several chilled<\/p>\n
tigers. The beetles, awakened from their semi-<\/p>\n
torpid state, seemed dazed, and confused. And<\/p>\n
slow.<\/p>\n
What was not-so-great luck for the tiger beetles turned out to be a very fortunate<\/p>\n
occurrence for me and the students in my field-trip group.<\/p>\n
Tiger beetles are about as close to winged gems as you’ll ever find here in Kane County.<\/p>\n
Their elytra, or leathery wing covers, are a bright, metallic-looking green. The six spots in<\/p>\n
their name can be present or absent, or range up to as many as 12, and are whitish in<\/p>\n
color.<\/p>\n
Stylish too, these beetles sport white mandibles that match their spots and are<\/p>\n
characteristic traits\u2014that is, they are present even if the spots are not. It’s these strong,<\/p>\n
overlapping mandibles, or jaws, that allow the insects to fulfill their important ecological<\/p>\n
niche.<\/p>\n
Six-spotted tiger beetles, and their many tiger beetle cousins, are predators that<\/p>\n
consume a wide variety of arthropods. Ants, moths, spiders, even other beetles can’t<\/p>\n
escape the tenacious tigers, which snatch their quarries both on the ground and in the<\/p>\n
air.<\/p>\n
Their larvae, though less mobile, are equally voracious. Lacking wings, they hang out at<\/p>\n
their burrow openings, waiting for unsuspecting prey to come ambling along. When a<\/p>\n
meal comes within range they pop up, seize the hapless creature, then retreat to dine in<\/p>\n
the relative safety of their tube-like homes.<\/p>\n
Adult six-spotted tiger beetles are an undeniable part of woodland walks in early<\/p>\n
summer. Though they’re only about a half inch in length, their brilliant colors and quick<\/p>\n
movements make them hard to miss.<\/p>\n
Look for the beetles on trails in or near wooded areas. They can be found on the ground<\/p>\n
as well as on objects such as rocks or logs. One moment they are perfectly still, the next<\/p>\n
they are turning one way or another, always orienting toward movements they<\/p>\n
perceive.<\/p>\n
This wariness actually serves a dual purpose. Besides scoping out the landscape for<\/p>\n
potential prey, tiger beetles also have to make sure they do not become prey<\/p>\n
themselves. Fierce though they may be, and despite a distasteful chemical defense, tiger<\/p>\n
beetles are preyed upon by birds, as well as other insects like dragonflies and robber<\/p>\n
flies.<\/p>\n
The weather forecast calls for warm temperatures and mostly sunny skies over these<\/p>\n
next few days, conditions that are ideal for stalking tiger beetles. If you’d like to try and<\/p>\n
spot some for yourself, head out for a walk in the woods. When you see a beetle up<\/p>\n
ahead, slow down and try to keep your shadow behind you. If the insect startles and<\/p>\n
flees, follow it with your eyes; these territorial tigers rarely fly far and will often end up<\/p>\n
circling back after only a few minutes’ time.<\/p>\n
Or\u2026you could wait for the next cold, rainy day, and head for the shale piles at Hickory<\/p>\n
Knolls. If your timing’s right, you may run into a busload of sixth graders armed with<\/p>\n
trowels, or maybe a slow, lumbering naturalist, to help you with your hunt.<\/p>\n
Pam Otto is the manager of nature programs and interpretive services for the Hickory<\/p>\n
Knolls Discovery Center, a facility of the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at<\/p>\n