The Fiery Searcher is one of North America's most spectacular beetles, with an iridescent green and violet thorax and brilliant metallic green elytra trimmed with purple-red margins. It is an aggressive predator that climbs trees in search of caterpillars, especially tent caterpillars, earning it the name caterpillar hunter. When disturbed, it releases a foul defensive chemical spray.
Best time to see a Fiery Searcher
The best time to see a Fiery Searcher is March–June, when about 66% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 7,763 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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