In my wanderings among the woods and fields I often encounter beetles, which are not usually considered among the most colorful of the insects, as are the butterflies. However there are some striking exceptions to this rule, one of which I call the "jewel of the forest," the six-spotted tiger beetle. This little gem is an iridescent green of the most amazing hue (see photo) which is accentuated by its habitat in sunny gaps in the forest. These little monsters are truly tigers at their scale and run amok among the tiny insect denizens of the forest floor. Although I will be quick to point out the adaptive advantages of many color patterns, I am at a loss to provide any definitive answer for this distinctive green flash. Obviously it makes the beetle more visible to predators with color vision (birds), but the speed and alertness of this tiny tiger may negate this factor. Indeed it might even confuse a predator since the green wing covers are lifted during flight. The color is not a sexual attractor since both sexes are green. So we are left with another of nature's many mysteries.
Those bodacious beetles
In my wanderings among the woods and fields I often encounter beetles, which are not usually considered among the most colorful of the insects, as are the butterflies. However there are some striking exceptions to this rule, one of which I call the "jewel of the forest," the six-spotted tiger beetle. This little gem is an iridescent green of the most amazing hue (see photo) which is accentuated by its habitat in sunny gaps in the forest. These little monsters are truly tigers at their scale and run amok among the tiny insect denizens of the forest floor. Although I will be quick to point out the adaptive advantages of many color patterns, I am at a loss to provide any definitive answer for this distinctive green flash. Obviously it makes the beetle more visible to predators with color vision (birds), but the speed and alertness of this tiny tiger may negate this factor. Indeed it might even confuse a predator since the green wing covers are lifted during flight. The color is not a sexual attractor since both sexes are green. So we are left with another of nature's many mysteries.