Beetles

Ciaróg

There are thousands of different species of beetles in Ireland! Most of them have six legs and a hard wing case, but they can differ in colour and lifestyle.

Some of the beetles found in Ireland are the water beetle, ground beetle, click beetle, weevil, dung beetle and tiger beetle.

Let's take a closer look at some of them.
 

Tiger Beetle

Tiger Beetle

Courtesy of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Tiger Beetle
Courtesy of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Tiger Beetle

Tiger Beetle

Courtesy of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Enlarge image

The tiger beetle is a very striking insect. It can be blue, green, orange or red in colour, with long legs and bulging eyes.

The tiger beetle has a huge appetite! It is a very efficient hunter and its big eyes give it keen eyesight when hunting. It preys on spiders and other insects, and will often wait on top of burrows so it can surpirse the insects when they come out.

The tiger beetle is a diurnal insect, so it only comes out during the daytime.

Look at this picuture of the tiger beetle. Have you ever seen a beetle like this?