Bug FAQGreat Plains Giant Tiger Beetle
Amblycheila cylindriformis · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Carabidae
Also called: Giant Great Plains Tiger Beetle
The Great Plains giant tiger beetle is a flightless, nocturnal beetle that lives on the grasslands of the Great Plains, reaching as far north as far-southwestern South Dakota.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It can be found walking on bare ground at night and is often caught in pitfall traps; its larvae make tunnels in Colby silt loam soil.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The beetle is active at night and lives in the grasslands of the Great Plains, with the northernmost limit in far-southwestern South Dakota.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its genus is represented by several species in the United States and additional species in Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Arizona, Nebraska.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Carabidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amblycheila_cylindriformis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.