These
photos were taken a long time ago, and aren't as good as more recent photos
of a
tiger beetle in Indonesia or a
tiger beetle in Thailand.
 |
This little beauty
is the Japanese tiger beetle, known to its friends (at least the Latin
speaking ones) as Cicindela japonica. |
| I first came across
it in the gravelled grounds of the Chion-in
temple in Kyoto, Japan. |
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 |
I noticed a small
fluttering, and when I came closer the beetle flew away a few feet and
then landed facing me.
Apparently, because
of this behavior, the Japanese call them "michi-oshie" or "show me the
way". |
| As you can see,
it's a fearsome looking predator, equipped with a vicious set of jaws to
clamp down on its victims, such as ants. |
 |
 |
The hairy white
legs are interesting, and you can even see little spines on the legs. |
| The other very obvious
features, common to most of the many varieties of tiger beetle found around
the world, are the large "bug eyes" (which is probably what you should
expect from a bug). |
 |
 |
However, it's the
sheer beauty of its colors that makes this a special insect to me, with
the metallic appearance extending all the way down its legs. |
| I suspect that most
visitors to the temple didn't even notice them, even though there were
quite a few around. |
 |
 |
It's pretty small,
only about an inch long, and you've got to be a little bit patient to approach
them, so its beauty is easy to miss. |
| I saw them in Kyoto
and Okinawa, and I believe they are found elsewhere as well, including
China, Korea and Vietnam, as this postage stamp indicates. |
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|
