Although the Heath Tiger Beetle has a wide Palearctic distribution, the species demands very specific habitat characteristics and is often quite localized and uncommon. In Western Europe the species is becoming increasingly rare. It is a very thermophilic species, and its distribution is restricted to the large heath areas. Unlike Cicindela hybrida, which is found in a lot of open habitats with bare soil and which is found in high densities in the large and open sand dunes, Cicindela sylvatica is found in heath areas with more specific demands: it needs smaller patches of bare soil or a very short mossy vegetation, surrounded by enough higher cover in the close vicinity.
The species stayed unnoticed in Belgium during the past decades, until it was rediscovered a few years ago in a handful of locations on the border between Flanders and The Netherlands. This summer it was also rediscovered in a location adjacent to the known populations, where the species seems to hold a relatively substantial population. I photographed the species in a heath restoration area which was created about four years ago. The species was mainly active in the very small patches of bare sand and open mossy dunes surrounded by cover provided by heath, Scots Pine seedlings and Purple Moor Grass, where the beetles seem to hunt their prey from an ambush in the shade of the vegetation cover.

Several of the specimens I found seemed to have reduced spots on their elytra, which is quite unusual. I didn't find any evidence of sightings of individuals with similar characteristics so far.
This specimen shows reduced spots in the middle of his elytra.