Cow Path Tiger Beetle

Cicindela purpurea

This flashy beetle can range in colour from green to purple, and is distributed across North America. The cow path tiger beetle is found on hard-packed soils, like the trails left behind by cows and other large mammals. They are very fast and have been documented running at 0.42 metres per second. That is the equivalent of an adult human running 150 kilometres per hour!

Look for this beetle on dirt paths in the coulees!