
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Cicindela japonica
The largest tiger beetle in Japan, combining a metallic green head with black-purple elytra marked by white spots and a red band. It flies a short way ahead of an approaching person and then turns back to look, which is why it is called the path-shower.
Cicindela japonica reaches about 20 mm as an adult and is the largest tiger beetle in Japan. The head is metallic green, the elytra a velvety black-purple bearing white spots, and a red band crosses both the pronotum and the middle of the elytra. The underside is metallic blue-green, and some people find the beetle smells faintly of fruit. It is common on sunny forest tracks and riverbanks where the ground stays damp, and also turns up in city parks. When a person approaches it flies one or two metres, lands and often looks back, which has earned it the Japanese names michishirube and michioshie, both meaning path-shower. Large compound eyes and sharp mandibles let it catch small insects. The larva digs a vertical cylindrical burrow in firm bare ground, caps it with its flat head and ambushes passing prey, dragging it inside; hooked projections on its back grip the burrow wall to hold it in place. Adults overwinter together in the soil.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Japanese Tiger Beetle lives Adults 10 months to 1 year.
The Japanese Tiger Beetle grows to About 20mm.
Origin
Japan (southern Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Tsushima, Tanegashima and Yakushima)
Lifespan
Adults 10 months to 1 year
Size
About 20mm
Edited & verified by: BreederDirect editorial team
The taxonomic, regulatory, and husbandry data on this page are compiled and verified against the authoritative primary sources below.
Accepted name: Cicindela japonica Thunberg, 1781
Synonyms: Cicindela chinensis japonica
Authority databases: GBIF
Nomenclature follows global taxonomic authority databases.
Sources: CITES Appendix (checklist.cites.org)
Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.
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Temperature
20〜28℃
Humidity
60〜80%
Small insects and other live prey
It lives where the ground is sunlit but damp, and adults overwinter together in the soil. In captivity provide a substrate that is dry at the surface and damp below.
The larva lives in a vertical cylindrical burrow dug into firm bare ground, so breeding calls for a deep layer of soil packed hard enough that the burrow will not collapse. Because it ambushes prey from the burrow, a steady supply of small live insects is a precondition.
The adult is an agile predator and will eat others of its kind if housed together. Keep it singly and do not put it with other insects.
Adults overwinter together in the soil and so live from one year into the next.
It will take only live prey, so a keeper needs a supply of feeder insects that does not run out. Its mandibles are sharp and it may bite if handled. Although it is a familiar beetle that even lives in city parks, its larvae depend on burrows in firm bare ground, so collecting should be kept to a minimum.
Advanced. This is an advanced-level species. It requires specialized equipment and advanced husbandry skills with precise environmental control.
The average lifespan of Japanese Tiger Beetle is Adults 10 months to 1 year. With proper care and nutrition, they can live a long and healthy life.
Japanese Tiger Beetle typically reaches About 20mm as an adult. Size may vary depending on care conditions and individual genetics.
Japanese Tiger Beetle feeds on: Small insects and other live prey. Aim for a balanced diet with appropriate feeding frequency.
The price of Japanese Tiger Beetle varies significantly depending on bloodline, size, captive-bred generation, and sex. Check our market price page for the latest pricing information.
Last updated: September 17, 2026