Feldsandläufer vs Wald-Sandlaufkäfer

Cicindela campestris compared with Cicindela sylvatica

Key Differences

• Feldsandläufer is Near Threatened while Wald-Sandlaufkäfer is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Feldsandläufer	Wald-Sandlaufkäfer
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class same	Insecta (Insekten)	Insecta (Insekten)
Order same	Coleoptera (Käfer)	Coleoptera (Käfer)
Family same	Carabidae	Carabidae
Genus same	Cicindela	Cicindela
Species	Cicindela campestris	Cicindela sylvatica

Evolutionary Relationship

Feldsandläufer and Wald-Sandlaufkäfer share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Cicindela.

Conservation Status

Feldsandläufer

NT — Near Threatened

Wald-Sandlaufkäfer

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Feldsandläufer	Wald-Sandlaufkäfer
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Feldsandläufer

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.

Wald-Sandlaufkäfer

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Feldsandläufer

<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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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