Northern Dune Tiger Beetle

Cicindela hybrida

The Northern Dune Tiger Beetle is a shiny, fast bug that loves to run on sandy beaches and dunes. Its bright colors help it blend in with the sand while it hunts for food.

Lebensraum: Coastal areas

Aussehen

The Northern Dune Tiger Beetle has an elongated, iridescent body that can appear green, blue, or copper, often with creamy-yellow markings along its wing covers. It features very large, prominent eyes and powerful sickle-shaped jaws. Its long, slender legs are built for incredible speed on sandy surfaces.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungColeopteraFamilieCarabidaeGattungCicindela

Northern Dune Tiger Beetle

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Its shimmering colours help it blend into sandy or pebbly habitats, making it hard to spot.

Their powerful jaws are like tiny, sharp pincers, perfect for catching and holding onto insects.

This beetle is so speedy, it often has to stop running for a moment to 'see' where it's going!

Tiger beetle larvae are also fierce hunters, waiting patiently in their burrows to surprise prey!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Northern Dune Tiger Beetles can run incredibly fast, up to 2.5 meters per second, because of their long legs that help them chase down prey.

Northern Dune Tiger Beetles have huge, compound eyes that help them spot tiny prey and avoid predators with a wide field of view.

Northern Dune Tiger Beetle larvae can hide in sand burrows with hooked abdomens, snapping at prey that passes by with strong jaws.

Northern Dune Tiger Beetles can run so fast they temporarily go blind, having to pause to reorient themselves and find their prey.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite: 25-35 mm
Größe: 11-15 mm
Lebenserwartung: 60-120 Tage
Fluggeschwindigkeit: 10 km/h
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

These speedy hunters love to eat other small insects found on the ground.

Altersunterschiede: Larvae are ambush predators, waiting in burrows; adults are active pursuit hunters on the surface.

Hauptnahrung

ants
small flies
spiders
small caterpillars
aphids

Nahrungssuche

Pursuit

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

hunts

Black Garden Ant

Lasius niger

Adult beetles actively hunt these common ants on sandy ground.

hunts

House Fly

Musca domestica

Flies are a swift source of protein for the quick-moving adults.

eaten by

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Birds can snatch adult beetles, despite their speed and camouflage.

eaten by

Sand Lizard

Lacerta agilis

Lizards are a key predator of both adult and larval tiger beetles.

Merkmale

Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger leben den größten Teil ihres Lebens allein und interagieren mit Artgenossen nur zur Paarung oder zur Aufzucht der Jungen.

Farbenfroh

Farbenfroh beschreibt Organismen oder Objekte, die eine große Vielfalt an leuchtenden und deutlich erkennbaren Farben aufweisen.

Lauerjäger

Ein Lauerjäger jagt, indem er geduldig wartet und sich versteckt, um dann einen plötzlichen Angriff zu starten, wenn arglose Beute in Reichweite kommt.