Tiger beetle
Description: This is a specimen from Dr Bailey's collection of beetles, made at the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s. All the specimens are painstakingly mounted on card, with information on the place and date of collection written on the underside. The collection is divided into a Manx section and a British section and the species are organised according to the taxonomic order in use at the time Dr Bailey was actively collecting. Most of the Manx specimens were caught in and around Port Erin in the south west of the Isle of Man. The collection was bought in 1915 by the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society from Dr Bailey's widow with funds raised by subscription. It was subsequently handed to the Manx Museum Trustees to help form the core of the entomological collections.
Tiger beetles are characteristic of heath and coastal grassland in the Isle of Man. The adult beetles are very active, fly readily and are easily recognised by their metallic bright green colour, large eyes and formidable jaws. They and their larvae are voracious predators of other invertebrates, the larvae lurking in burrows and ambushing passing prey.
Taxonomic name: Cicindela campestris
Collection: Natural History Zoology Collection
ID number: 1954-2989/1/2