Welcome the Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle to Your Garden

Gardeners love to see the six-spotted tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata) hanging around, evidence that the ecosystem is helping out with predators. This shiny, bright green bug — a member of the ground-beetle family — feeds on other insects. Its powerful jaws make quick meals of the larval and adult stages of other arthropods.

The half-inch-long critter is found throughout the Midwest and the eastern United States, except for the Gulf Coast. It's often seen in or near woodsy areas, and it can also be found under stones or logs. Color may vary: Sometimes it's blue, and it can have up to 10 spots or none at all.

The six-spotted tiger beetle has excellent eyesight. When disturbed, it runs rapidly. It can also fly.