Common Tiger Beetle vs European hare

Cicindela campestris compared with Lepus europaeus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Tiger Beetle	European hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Carabidae	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Cicindela	Lepus
Species	Cicindela campestris	Lepus europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Tiger Beetle and European hare share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Tiger Beetle

NT — Near Threatened

European hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Tiger Beetle	European hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Tiger Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

European hare

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, among 7 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (10 countries), North America (4 countries), and South America (8 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Tiger Beetle

<em>Cicindela campestris</em>, the common green tiger beetle, is a predatory beetle in the family Cicindelidae, recorded from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population declines linked to habitat loss, particularly the loss of open sandy heathlands, coastal dunes, and dry grasslands across its European range. This beetle is one of the fastest-running terrestrial insects and is an active, visual predator that pursues invertebrate prey with speed and agility. It is characterized by vivid metallic green elytra spotted with cream or white, providing camouflage against sandy substrates. Adults are typically 12–15 millimeters long and are found on bare, sun-exposed sandy ground. Larvae are ambush predators living in vertical burrows in sandy soil, capturing passing insects. The species requires warm, sparsely vegetated sandy habitats that are increasingly rare due to land-use change, scrub encroachment, and development. Conservation of heathland and dune habitats is critical for maintaining viable populations of this Near Threatened species.

European hare

European hare (Lepus europaeus) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden