Audouin’s Night-stalking Tiger Beetle

A member of the family Carabidae (“ground beetles”), the Audouin’s Night-stalking Tiger Beetle is a flightless tiger beetle with a highly restricted Canadian range, occurring in the coastal lowlands of Boundary Bay and Greater Victoria. The two ecosystems it is associated with are coastal sand ecosystems and Garry Oak and associated ecosystems. This medium-sized, dark beetle is primarily nocturnal and hunts actively on the ground rather than relying on flight, using its long legs and strong mandibles to capture small invertebrates. Its larvae develop in vertical burrows in firm, well-drained soils where they ambush passing prey, while adults shelter during the day under stones, woody debris, or leaf litter. The species depends on a mosaic of open ground for foraging and suitable soils for larval development, combined with nearby cover that maintains stable moisture and temperature conditions. Due to its restricted distribution, limited dispersal ability, and reliance on these specialized habitats, it is particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation.