The Flickr Heathtigerbeetle Image Generatr

There are four species of tiger beetle in Sweden. The green tiger beetle (Cicindela campestris), the wood tiger beetle (C.sylvatica), the northern dune tiger beetle (C. hybrida) and the dune tiger beetle (C. maritima). The green and northern dune ones are fairly common while the wood one is more rare and the dune one is endangered.

So, since one of the strongest habitats in the country of the dune one is only about 25 km from my mother-in-law's place, me and my son went there to try and find one.

I chose a place just south of the Mjällådalen nature reserve where there is a sand pit where C. maritima has been reported in 1999, 2015, 2018 and 2020.

Shooting tiger beetles can be frustrating, they are fast runners with good vision and a propensity to fly five or ten meters when you try to get close. When we got there, we quite quickly located a tiger beetle and even managed to shoot it and when it took off, Daniel took off chasing it and pointed where it landed so I could have another attempt.

We came across about five of these guys (plus a green), but when I got home and processed the shots in Photoshop, these don't look like C. maritima, but rather C. sylvatica, the wood tiger beetle.

I have no idea if they were misidentified by the previous people or if there are C. maritima there as well or what, but I am still glad for these as these actually are the second set of shots I've managed of this particular species. Hopefully we can track down the remaining two species eventually.

Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53847725151/

Part 2 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53966603263/

I also have an album with 75+ shots of tiger beetles here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/albums/72157719182564816/

On a small logging road, me and Daniel (my son) found two of these wood tiger beetles (Cicindela sylvatica), also known as the heath tiger beetle.

They really aren't fans of having their portrait taken so getting my shots meant we had to combine some serious ninja sneaking and some excellent spotting and running by Daniel when they took off and flew five meters and landed somewhere else on the road.

These beetles are predators and hunt by running faster than most other bugs and grabbing their prey with those large mandibles.

On top of the impressive mandibles and the very fuzzy legs, I also look like they are riddled with RGB lighting like they are the beetle equivalent of a gaming PC.

Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53917002544/

Part 2 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/54080575174/

Part 3 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/54172505329/

On a small logging road, me and Daniel (my son) found two of these wood tiger beetles (Cicindela sylvatica), also known as the heath tiger beetle.

They really aren't fans of having their portrait taken so getting my shots meant we had to combine some serious ninja sneaking and some excellent spotting and running by Daniel when they took off and flew five meters and landed somewhere else on the road.

These beetles are predators and hunt by running faster than most other bugs and grabbing their prey with those large mandibles.

Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53917002544/

Part 2 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/54080575174/

On a small logging road, me and Daniel (my son) found two of these wood tiger beetles (Cicindela sylvatica), also known as the heath tiger beetle.

They really aren't fans of having their portrait taken so getting my shots meant we had to combine some serious ninja sneaking and some excellent spotting and running by Daniel when they took off and flew five meters and landed somewhere else on the road.

These beetles are predators and hunt by running faster than most other bugs and grabbing their prey with those large mandibles.

Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53917002544/

There are four species of tiger beetle in Sweden. The green tiger beetle (Cicindela campestris), the wood tiger beetle (C.sylvatica), the northern dune tiger beetle (C. hybrida) and the dune tiger beetle (C. maritima). The green and northern dune ones are fairly common while the wood one is more rare and the dune one is endangered.

So, since one of the strongest habitats in the country of the dune one is only about 25 km from my mother-in-law's place, me and my son went there to try and find one.

I chose a place just south of the Mjällådalen nature reserve where there is a sand pit where C. maritima has been reported in 1999, 2015, 2018 and 2020.

Shooting tiger beetles can be frustrating, they are fast runners with good vision and a propensity to fly five or ten meters when you try to get close. When we got there, we quite quickly located a tiger beetle and even managed to shoot it and when it took off, Daniel took off chasing it and pointed where it landed so I could have another attempt.

We came across about five of these guys (plus a green), but when I got home and processed the shots in Photoshop, these don't look like C. maritima, but rather C. sylvatica, the wood tiger beetle.

I have no idea if they were misidentified by the previous people or if there are C. maritima there as well or what, but I am still glad for these as these actually are the second set of shots I've managed of this particular species. Hopefully we can track down the remaining two species eventually.

Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53847725151/

I also have an album with 75+ shots of tiger beetles here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/albums/72157719182564816/

On a small logging road, me and Daniel (my son) found two of these wood tiger beetles (Cicindela sylvatica), also known as the heath tiger beetle.

They really aren't fans of having their portrait taken so getting my shots meant we had to combine some serious ninja sneaking and some excellent spotting and running by Daniel when they took off and flew five meters and landed somewhere else on the road.

These beetles are predators and hunt by running faster than most other bugs and grabbing their prey with those large mandibles.

Cicindela sylvatica.

Dorset heathland.

Studland Heath NNR, Dorset

Studland Heath NNR, Dorset

Cicindela sylvatica.

Dorset heathland.

Cicindela sylvatica.
With an impressive pair of mandibles!!
Dorset heathland.

Cicindela sylvatica.

Dorset heathland.

There are four species of tiger beetle in Sweden. The green tiger beetle (Cicindela campestris), the wood tiger beetle (C.sylvatica), the northern dune tiger beetle (C. hybrida) and the dune tiger beetle (C. maritima). The green and northern dune ones are fairly common while the wood one is more rare and the dune one is endangered.

So, since one of the strongest habitats in the country of the dune one is only about 25 km from my mother-in-law's place, me and my son went there to try and find one.

I chose a place just south of the Mjällådalen nature reserve where there is a sand pit where C. maritima has been reported in 1999, 2015, 2018 and 2020.

Shooting tiger beetles can be frustrating, they are fast runners with good vision and a propensity to fly five or ten meters when you try to get close. When we got there, we quite quickly located a tiger beetle and even managed to shoot it and when it took off, Daniel took off chasing it and pointed where it landed so I could have another attempt.

We came across about five of these guys (plus a green), but when I got home and processed the shots in Photoshop, these don't look like C. maritima, but rather C. sylvatica, the wood tiger beetle.

I have no idea if they were misidentified by the previous people or if there are C. maritima there as well or what, but I am still glad for these as these actually are the second set of shots I've managed of this particular species. Hopefully we can track down the remaining two species eventually.

I have an album with 75+ shots of tiger beetles here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/albums/72157719182564816/

Heath Tiger Beetle
One from the pre-digital archives.

At home, I have no issues finding the green tiger beetle, but there are three more tiger species in Sweden. One which doesn't live as far north as me (in Stockholm), and then there are two more species.

This year I learned that the rarer species has it's strongest habitat in the country just 25 km from where my mother-in-law lives (500 km north of me). Well, I was there a couple of days ago - but didn't see any tigers.

In early July (of 2023), we made a short trip out in the woods near the house and that's when I made a discovery: the other northern species!

This is a wood tiger beetle (Cicindela sylvatica), also known as the heath tiger beetle.

I saw something flying ahead of us on the sandy forest road so I pursued it and every time I got close, it took off again.

After four or five tries I decided on trying a flanking motion and with the forest behind me I managed to get close enough to see what I was chasing. And there it was - my second species of tiger beetle!

Since I had the 180 mm Sigma macro plus 2x teleconverter on the camera, I didn't have to get as close to it as if I had fitted the MP-E65 - which was very good and I am quite pleased with the results. This is also about as close as the lens would focus which means it is at 2:1 magnification and that the beetle's face was ~20 cm from the front lens.

Do you think it is better-looking than the green species here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52828155245/ or is that one cooler?

Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53025267370/ www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53025267370/

Studland Heath NNR, Dorset

Studland Heath NNR, Dorset

among lichen, Studland Heath NNR

At home, I have no issues finding the green tiger beetle, but there are three more tiger species in Sweden. One which doesn't live as far north as me (in Stockholm), and then there are two more species.

This year I learned that the rarer species has it's strongest habitat in the country just 25 km from where my mother-in-law lives (500 km north of me). Well, I was there a couple of days ago - but didn't see any tigers.

Today, we made a short trip out in the woods near the house and that's when I made a discovery: the other northern species!

This is a wood tiger beetle (Cicindela sylvatica), also known as the heath tiger beetle.

I saw something flying ahead of us on the sandy forest road so I pursued it and every time I got close, it took off again.

After four or five tries I decided on trying a flanking motion and with the forest behind me I managed to get close enough to see what I was chasing. And there it was - my second species of tiger beetle!

Since I had the 180 mm Sigma macro plus 2x teleconverter on the camera, I didn't have to get as close to it as if I had fitted the MP-E65 - which was very good and I am quite pleased with the results. This is also about as close as the lens would focus which means it is at 2:1 magnification and that the beetle's face was ~20 cm from the front lens.

Do you think it is better-looking than the green species here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52828155245/ or is that one cooler?

Another couple from the archive - 2022 this time. Again sharing now since Springwatch are going to be featuring this area, "Isle" of Purbeck, on TV, soon. Also known as the Wood Tiger beetle, the rare heath tiger beetle, Cicindela sylvatica is the largest of the UKs tiger beetles and requires lowland heathland.