Species Cicindela limbalis - Common Claybank Tiger Beetle

Green-margined Tiger Beetle

LIMBALIS: a variation (?) of the Latin "limbus", meaning margin or border - possibly a reference to the thin green border on the elytra (the origin of the common name Green-margined Tiger Beetle)

body length 12-16 mm

color of dorsal surface varies greatly, from brick red to metallic red to reddish-purple to reddish-green, and rarely dull green or brown; elytral markings highly variable: (humeral lunule complete, broken, or rarely absent; middle band complete and sharply angled or consisting only of a transverse dash; apical lunule complete or broken; marginal line always absent)

many specimens have green on the outer and inner margins of the elytra, which is the basis of the common name, Green-margined Tiger Beetle

central and mid-eastern North America (see range map)

usually steep, moist bare clay soil, including open hill tops, dirt roads, and especially river or stream banks (US Geological Survey)

April through June, and again from late August through September

3-year life cycle (US Geological Survey)

Purple Tiger Beetle (Cicindela purpurea) is similar but has no humeral lunule and its middle band is almost straight or gently curved, not sharply angled

pinned adult image plus common name reference [Green-margined Tiger Beetle], and other info (Steve Marshall, U. of Guelph, Ontario)

pinned adult image (Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota)

pinned adult image and other info (Tiger Beetles of United States, US Geological Survey)

pinned adult images showing range of coloration and markings (North Dakota State U.)

live adult image (wisconsinbutterflies.org)

pinned adult image (U. of Vermont)

live adult image plus common name reference [Clay Bank Tiger Beetle] and other info (U. of Nebraska)

preserved adult image (Ground Beetles of Canada, CBIF)

pinned adult image (Insects of Quebec)