Salt Creek Tiger Beetle vs Common Cruiser

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Salt Creek Tiger Beetle Common Cruiser
Scientific Name Cicindela nevadica lincolniana Vindula erota
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Carabidae Nymphalidae
Size 10-12 mm 80-100 mm wingspan
Habitat Rivers & Streams Rivers & Streams
Diet Predators Fruit Feeders
Regions Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh)
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Salt Creek Tiger Beetle

One of the rarest insects in the world, this small tiger beetle has dark olive-brown elytra with faint white markings. It is found only on saline mud flats along Salt Creek in Lancaster County, Nebraska.

💡

Did You Know?

With fewer than 500 adults estimated in the wild, it is considered one of the rarest insects on Earth, threatened by urban development around Lincoln, Nebraska.

Common Cruiser

A large and striking butterfly with warm orange-brown wings marked with black lines and white spots. Males are more brightly colored than females and exhibit a powerful, gliding flight pattern.

💡

Did You Know?

Males are frequently seen mud-puddling on wet ground to obtain mineral salts essential for reproduction.