Ectotherm
Guides
Cicindela sexguttata
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, Six-spotted Green Tiger Beetle
Cicindela sexguttata is a common North American tiger beetle recognized by its bright metallic-green to blue-green elytra, often bearing six small white spots. Adults are active predators of small arthropods in deciduous forest habitats, where they hunt in sunlit patches on the forest floor. The species exhibits specialized thermal ecology, basking to elevate body temperature and foraging optimally at approximately 32.8°C. Larvae are subterranean ambush predators that construct burrows in sandy soils. The species has been reported to live up to five years total, with approximately one year spent in larval development.