Forest tiger beetle
| Forest tiger beetle | ||||||||||||
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Cicindela sylvatica rubescens |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Cicindela sylvatica | ||||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 |
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| Nominate form sylvatica sylvatica |
Subspecies Sylvatica rubescens Elytres slightly crippled |
The forest tiger beetle or heather tiger beetle ( Cicindela sylvatica ) is a species from the subfamily of the tiger beetle .
The species occurs in Europe in two subspecies, Cicindela sylvatica sylvatica in Central and Northern Europe, Cicindela sylvatica rubescens only in Spain.
The forest tiger beetles are 14 to 19 millimeters long and have a very slim build. They are glossy dark brown in color and have white spots ( zigzag bands ) on the wing covers: a zigzag line in the middle, a round spot at the rear end and an elongated spot at the front of the body. The head is large and clearly set off from the body . The large eyes and jaws are particularly noticeable. The antennae are thread-shaped, the legs are very long. Unlike other tiger beetles, the forest tiger beetle is the only one with a black upper lip.
Forest tiger beetles are common in Central Europe, but are more common locally. They can be found on the ground or in the bushes, mainly on sandy areas, sandy forest clearings and in pine forests and heaths .
The diurnal animals hunt for insects and spiders, which they grasp with their jaws and then suck out. When danger threatens, the animals fly a short distance, otherwise they run around. The larvae wait in self-dug caves, which they cannot leave, for insects to pass by to eat them. After the larva has pupated in the cave, the finished beetle hatches in autumn. Forest tiger beetles are protected in Germany.
literature
- Ekkehard Wachmann , Ralph Platen, Dieter Barndt: Ground beetle - observation, way of life , Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1995, ISBN 3-89440-125-7
- Michael Chinery: Parey's Book of Insects. A field guide of European insects. Publishing house Paul Parey, Hamburg u. Berlin 2004, ISBN 3-440-09969-5
- Jiři Zahradnik, Irmgard Jung, Dieter Jung, Jarmila Hoberlandtova, Ivan Zpevak: Beetles of Central and Northwestern Europe , Parey, Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-490-27118-1
Web links
- www.cicindela.de
- www.insektenbox.de
- www.arthropods.de
- Cicindela (Cicindela) sylvatica at Fauna Europaea