Forest Caterpillar Hunter
Calosoma sycophanta
Summary 7
The Calosoma sycophanta or forest caterpillar hunter is a large, bright green, metallic ground beetle that is native to Europe. In 1905 it was imported to New England for control of the gypsy moth. The species is a voracious consumer of caterpillars during both its larval stage and as an adult.
Description 8
Cette espèce fait l'objet d'un projet de sciences participatives en relation avec l'INPN et mené en partenariat avec Noé Conservation (www.biodiversite-foret.fr).
Morphology 9
The length of C. sycophanta ranges from 25 to 30 mm. The head of this species is narrower than the pronotum -which is the upper sclerite of the prothorax of adult Coleoptera that tightly encloses the fore part of the body. The 11 segmented antennae are slender, and are inserted between the bases of the mandibles and the eyes. There are six abdominal sternites present. The legs of C. sycophanta are slim and modified for running. This beetle also possesses sharp tarsal claws that facilitate crawling under stones, logs, bark, and debris. The tarsi have five segments each. Adult C. sycophanta are a brilliant golden green color with a dark blue thorax. Larvae are a polished black with brown markings on the underside. They also possess sharp projecting mandibles and a pair of bristly appendages at the hind end of the body.
Range length: 25 to 30 mm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Habitat 10
Adults are predominantly found under rocks, logs, leaves, bark, decomposing wood and other debris on the ground. They are also found in freshly harvested grain, as well as in homes if food becomes scarce or outside moisture conditions are unfavorable.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Other Habitat Features: agricultural
Sources and Credits
- (c) Ferran Pestaña, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/57956171@N00/2582299718
- (c) Stanislav Krejčík, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/4229.jpg
- (c) Ondřej Zicha, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/51.jpg
- (c) Stanislav Krejčík, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/9602.jpg
- (c) Ondřej Zicha, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/4839.jpg
- (c) Ondřej Zicha, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/4842.jpg
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calosoma_sycophanta
- (c) Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. Service du Patrimoine naturel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/29862266
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31382604
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31382603
