Cicindela campestris
Encyclopedia
Cicindela campestris , commonly called the green tiger beetle is a widespread Eurasian species of tiger beetle
.
Adults are 12-15mm long. The elytra and thorax
are green, varying in tone from light to dark, spotted with cream-coloured patches, and in bright sunlight are somewhat iridescent. The eyes are blackish; the legs are brown with whitish hairs. The antennae are long and straight, not clubbed.
The adults are sun-loving. They live in places with dry soils (sandy or chalky), mostly between May and October at the latitude of Britain. Like other tiger beetles, they run fast on their long legs and are most often seen on bare ground, in Britain typically on heather
moorland
. They can fly fast, making a loud buzzing noise.
The larvae are carnivorous. They dig burrows from where they ambush ground-living insects such as ants.
The species is divided into several subspecies:
Tiger beetle
The tiger beetles are a large group of beetles known for their aggressive predatory habits and running speed. The fastest species of tiger beetle can run at a speed of 9 km/h , which, relative to its body length, is about 22 times the speed of former Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson, the...
.
Adults are 12-15mm long. The elytra and thorax
Thorax
The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.-In tetrapods:...
are green, varying in tone from light to dark, spotted with cream-coloured patches, and in bright sunlight are somewhat iridescent. The eyes are blackish; the legs are brown with whitish hairs. The antennae are long and straight, not clubbed.
The adults are sun-loving. They live in places with dry soils (sandy or chalky), mostly between May and October at the latitude of Britain. Like other tiger beetles, they run fast on their long legs and are most often seen on bare ground, in Britain typically on heather
Erica
Erica ,the heaths or heathers, is a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names "heath" and "heather" are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance....
moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
. They can fly fast, making a loud buzzing noise.
The larvae are carnivorous. They dig burrows from where they ambush ground-living insects such as ants.
The species is divided into several subspecies:
- Cicindela campestris atlantis Mandl, 1944
- Cicindela campestris balearica Sydow, 1934
- Cicindela campestris cyprensis Hlisnikowsky, 1929
- Cicindela campestris nigrita Dejean, 1825
- Cicindela campestris olivieria Brullé, 1832
- Cicindela campestris palustris Motschulsky, 1840
- Cicindela campestris pontica Fischer von Waldheim, 1825
- Cicindela campestris saphyrina Gené, 1836
- Cicindela campestris siculorum Schilder, 1953
- Cicindela campestris suffriani Loew, 1943
- Cicindela campestris calabrica Mandl, 1944