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Animal profile

Green Tiger Beetle

Cicindela campestris

InsectaHeathland, dunes, sandy paths and other open bare ground

Field profile

The green tiger beetle is a bright metallic green ground beetle with cream spots and long legs. It hunts on open sunlit ground, running down ants, caterpillars and spiders in short bursts. Larvae live in vertical burrows, waiting at the entrance to seize passing prey.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-07-10

Green Tiger Beetle

The tiger beetle runs faster than it can see

Tiger beetles are among the fastest running insects relative to their size. At full sprint their eyes cannot gather enough light to form a usable image, so they chase in stop-start bursts and go effectively blind while moving.

Read with evidence →

Green Tiger Beetle | Daily Animal Facts