About Cicindela sylvatica Linnaeus, 1758
Cicindela sylvatica, described by Linnaeus in 1758, is a tiger beetle commonly known as the wood tiger beetle or heath tiger beetle. It is the largest of the British tiger beetles, measuring 15–19 millimetres (0.59–0.75 in) in length. It is black with a blue tinge that is more pronounced on the underside, and sometimes has a bronze sheen. This species occurs across most of Europe, excluding the Mediterranean and the extreme north. In the United Kingdom, it is only found in England. It holds priority status under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) and is included in English Nature's Species Recovery Programme. Over 40 years, its population in England has declined by 65%. Its traditional stronghold is on the Dorset heaths, where at least 4 populations remain, and it also persists in two populations on the Surrey heaths. Its confirmed and recorded distribution includes: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, mainland France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary (doubtful occurrence), Ireland, Kaliningrad, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mongolia, the Netherlands, North Korea, North Macedonia, mainland Norway, Poland, Romania (doubtful occurrence), Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, mainland Spain, Sweden, Turkey and Ukraine.
