Six-spotted tiger beetle of the tiger beetles (Cicindelinae) subfamily and ground beetle (Carabidae) family is found in the deciduous forest areas of North America. The six small spots on their body, earn them their name, while they are also alternately called the six-spotted green tiger beetle because of the green body color.
Size: 12 – 14 mm (0.50 – 0.62 inches)
Color: They have a metallic green or bluish-green coloration with six small yellowish-white spots on their elytra. However, the number of spots could vary, as they could have less or more of it, or some may even have no spots at all.
Other Characteristics: They have a cylindrical skinny appearanceand slender, long legs.Like most other tiger beetles, this species has large overlapping mandibles, accounting for their fierce look and painful bite.
The larva has a whitish grub-like appearance with a dark head and two large mandibles protruding right out of their head, helping them catch prey. The vertical burrows made by them have a depth of about 2 feet (0.67 m). Their abdomen possesses a hook-like feature that helps them move right incol3 the burrow and lunge at their prey without dragging them out. It takes about five years in total for the larva to mature into an adult.
The larval stage continues for a year before they start pupating. The pupa digs diagonally, thus making their way out of the ground.
The female lays the round and small eggs in small holes within the sandy patches in June or early July.
| Other Names | Six-spotted green tiger beetle |
| Lifespan of Adults | 3 – 4 weeks |
| Distribution | Different parts of North America including Ontario, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Kentucky |
| Habitat | Deciduous forests mostly near sunny spots on rocks, ground, roads, forest paths, adjacent to fallen branches, and tree trunks |
| Seasons active from | March – July |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Spiders, caterpillars, ants, and several other arthropods |
Image Source: uncommonartist.com, objects.liquidweb.services, espacepourlavie.ca, photos.smugmug.com, cdn3.creativecirclemedia.com
Six-spotted tiger beetle of the tiger beetles (Cicindelinae) subfamily and ground beetle (Carabidae) family is found in the deciduous forest areas of North America. The six small spots on their body, earn them their name, while they are also alternately called the six-spotted green tiger beetle because of the green body color.
Size: 12 – 14 mm (0.50 – 0.62 inches)
Color: They have a metallic green or bluish-green coloration with six small yellowish-white spots on their elytra. However, the number of spots could vary, as they could have less or more of it, or some may even have no spots at all.
Other Characteristics: They have a cylindrical skinny appearanceand slender, long legs.Like most other tiger beetles, this species has large overlapping mandibles, accounting for their fierce look and painful bite.
The larva has a whitish grub-like appearance with a dark head and two large mandibles protruding right out of their head, helping them catch prey. The vertical burrows made by them have a depth of about 2 feet (0.67 m). Their abdomen possesses a hook-like feature that helps them move right incol3 the burrow and lunge at their prey without dragging them out. It takes about five years in total for the larva to mature into an adult.
The larval stage continues for a year before they start pupating. The pupa digs diagonally, thus making their way out of the ground.
The female lays the round and small eggs in small holes within the sandy patches in June or early July.
| Other Names | Six-spotted green tiger beetle |
| Lifespan of Adults | 3 – 4 weeks |
| Distribution | Different parts of North America including Ontario, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Kentucky |
| Habitat | Deciduous forests mostly near sunny spots on rocks, ground, roads, forest paths, adjacent to fallen branches, and tree trunks |
| Seasons active from | March – July |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Spiders, caterpillars, ants, and several other arthropods |
Image Source: uncommonartist.com, objects.liquidweb.services, espacepourlavie.ca, photos.smugmug.com, cdn3.creativecirclemedia.com
