Cicindela hybrida hybrida

Cicindela hybrida hybrida is the nominate subspecies of the northern dune tiger beetle. This eurytopic beetle has a wide distribution in the Palaeartic region. It is particularly common in Central Europe, even in artificial habitats.

Taxonomy

C. hybrida was first described by Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. When subspecies were found, this beetle adopted the trinomial name C. h. hybrida.

Interaction with other species

Diet

Like other tiger beetles, C. h. hybrida is a generalist predator. When presented with prey of different sizes and movement speeds, C. h. hybrida was found to prefer to hunt fast-moving, medium-sized insects, as well as large caterpillars, while avoiding grasshoppers. This may be due to C. h. hybridas larger mandibles, as its longer mandibles can widen far enough to hold larger prey. It has also been found to occasionally scavenge on dead insects.