Cicindela campestris Linnaeus, 1758

Common Green Tiger Beetle

Size: 12-17mm.

Identification: Easily recognisable metallic green with coppery highlights with five or six pale yellow spots on each elytron (wingcase). Appendages metallic coppery, bronze or purple. Very hairy underside and base of legs. Fast moving and quick to fly if disturbed.

Habitat: Open grassland, heathland and moorland on sandy or peaty soils. Often coastal.

Lifecycle: Annual species breeding early in spring, the larvae inhabit vertical burrows in the soil.

Similar species: No similar species in Pembrokeshire.

Field/Lab: This species can be easily identified in the field.

Status in Pembrokeshire: Abundant on suitable habitat, but not truly common.

UK status: Widespread and often abundant on suitable habitat.

Where to spot it: St Davids Head coastal heath, basking in the sun on warm early-summer days.