Six-spotted Tiger Beetle Cicindela sexguttata Fabricius, 1775    
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Coleoptera   >   Family Carabidae   >   Genus Cicindela   

Status:

The brightly metallic green Cicindela sexguttata is possibly one of the most common (or at least one of the most conspicuous) species of tiger beetles in eastern North America. It can be found in a wide range of habitats within forested landscapes, including trails, roads, meadows, natural openings, powerlines, and many similar habitats with at least dappled direct sunlight. This species occurs in every county in Maryland, and is often noticed even by casual observers.

Description:

Cicindela sexguttata can be distinguished from its more uncommon relative, C. patruela by noting the extent and shape of maculations, the sculpturing of the integument, and the extent of white setae on the body. C. patruela shows a complete middle band, reaching to the edge of the elytron, while the maculations are normally broken into spots or absent on sexguttata. C. patruela generally has a duller, less reflective body coloration, while sexguttata is a more brilliant, metallic emerald green or bluish. Cicindela patruela has more extensive, dense whitish appressed setae along the metacoxae and sides of the abdomen, while this feature is much less developed on sexguttata.

There are 1,039 records in the project database.

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A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Howard Co., Maryland (4/10/2009). Photo by Steve Collins. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Prince George's Co., Maryland (4/1/2016). Photo by Barbara Thurlow. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/7/2014). Photo by Brandon Woo. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Howard Co., Maryland (4/26/2015). Photo by Matthew Addicks. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Harford Co., Maryland (4/19/2014). Photo by Mike Burchett. (MBP list)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Washington Co., Maryland (4/23/2022). (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Judy Gallagher. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Harford Co., Maryland (4/19/2014). Photo by Mike Burchett. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Harford Co., Maryland (4/19/2014). Photo by Mike Burchett. (MBP list)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/10/2021). (c) Sergei Drovetski, all rights reserved. Photo by Sergei Drovetski. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle at Andelot Farm, Kent Co., Maryland (6/7/2014). New county record found by many parties during the Andelot Farm Bioblitz. Photo by Ashley Bradford. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Frederick Co., Maryland (5/3/2014). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Carroll Co., Maryland (6/7/2022). (c) tomfeild, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Tom Feild. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (3/25/2016). Photo by Jane Kostenko. (MBP list)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Prince George's Co., Maryland (4/24/2021). (c) Sergei Drovetski, all rights reserved. Photo by Sergei Drovetski. (MBP list)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetles mating in Kent Co., Maryland (5/7/2007). Photo by Nancy Martin. (MBP list)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Howard Co., Maryland (5/28/2018). (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Ken-ichi Ueda via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Carroll Co., Maryland (4/10/2013). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Howard Co., Maryland (4/26/2014). Photo by Ashley Bradford. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Harford Co., Maryland (2/28/2015). Photo by Bob Cammarata. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/11/2017). Verified by Jeff Brown/BugGuide. Photo by Max Wilson. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Worcester Co., Maryland (6/9/2014). Photo by Travis Turnbaugh. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Baltimore Co., Maryland (5/21/2020). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Prince George's Co., Maryland (3/31/2024). (c) Benjamin Burgunder, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Benjamin Burgunder via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Carroll Co., Maryland (4/24/2011). Photo by Sara Tangren. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/19/2009). Photo by R. Child. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/19/2014). Verified by V. Belov/BugGuide. Photo by Rod Burley. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Allegany Co., Maryland (5/14/2015). Photo by Kimberly Booth. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Frederick Co., Maryland (3/26/2016). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Dorchester Co., Maryland (4/21/2015). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Baltimore City, Maryland (5/17/2008). Photo by Thomas Wilson. (MBP list)

A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Howard Co., Maryland (4/10/2019). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/3/2023). (c) arlingtonann, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by arlingtonann via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/2/2023). (c) Tonyia Johnson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by tonyiajohnson via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle feeding on Magicicada in Washington Co., Maryland (6/5/2021). (c) smuller, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

The underside of a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/19/2014). Photo by Bonnie Bell. (MBP list)


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