Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle
A pale, fast-running predator survives nowhere beyond a small portion of Coral Pink Sand Dunes, where its color nearly erases it against the sand.
Artwork inspired by Mary Teasdel
This tiger beetle is endemic to Coral Pink Sand Dunes. Adults sprint over open sand and fly short distances after prey; larvae wait in vertical burrows to seize passing insects.
Observe without chasing or handling. Stay outside closed conservation zones and keep vehicles on authorized routes. Footprints and tire tracks alter the small surface patches used for hunting, mating, and larval burrows.
- Range
- One Utah dune field
- Role
- Fast visual predator
- Status
- Federally threatened
Quick guide
- Color
- Cream wing covers blend into pink sand
- Movement
- Fast runs alternate with short flights
Recognize the Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle from an open route
- Use color pattern cautiously
- From where you already stand, use a zoom lens to look for pale cream wing covers divided by a narrow metallic center.
- Record movement and scale
- Adults sprint over open sand and make short flights after prey; larvae remain in vertical burrows.
- Require the endemic dune context
- The species occurs only at Coral Pink Sand Dunes in Utah, within dynamic sparsely vegetated sand.
- Treat empty sand as habitat
- Stay on authorized paths and vehicle routes outside signed conservation closures.
Good to know
Seeing the beetle is never worth entering protected habitat. Its limited range means a small disturbance can affect a meaningful share of the population. Photograph from where you already stand and avoid posting precise micro-locations.
Notice these
- Pale wing covers
- Metallic center stripe
- Rapid stop-start running