Photo by Drees. They differ from ground beetles in that the head is wider than the thorax.
Some species have metallic or iridescent blue, green and bronze coloration.
Adults of species are identified by distinguishing characters that include presence of hairs on the face of the head as well as the pattern and texture of the wing covers. Tiger beetles are closely related to ground beetles. Eggs are laid in individual burrows by females. Burrows may be over a foot deep in hard-packed sand. Mouthparts are for chewing with sickle-like mandibles.