Species Calosoma sayi - Black Caterpillar Hunter

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Works Cited

Black Caterpillar Hunter - Calosoma sayi

Calosoma sayi Dejean - Calosoma sayi - male

Black Caterpillar Hunter Beetle - Calosoma sayi - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Adephaga (Ground and Water Beetles)

Family Carabidae (Ground Beetles)

Subfamily Carabinae

Tribe Carabini

Genus Calosoma (Caterpillar Hunters)

Species sayi (Black Caterpillar Hunter)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

=alternans

Numbers

our only member of the New World subgenus Castrida that includes 9 more spp.(1)

Size

25-28 mm

Identification

Large, black, with prominent gold or red punctures and blue or green margins of elytra. (These are not prominent on cursory inspection--the beetle appears all black.) Resembles C. calidum but larger (25-28 mm vs. 16-27 mm) and more southern in distribution. Quoting from Ciegler (2000)(2):

4(1) Pronotum with setigerous puncture near hind angle; lateral raised bead of pronotum sharply defined inwardly for its entire length---> C. sayi

--Pronotum without basal setigerous puncture but with usual lateral one at midline; lateral bead obscure, at least basally ---> 5 (C. externum, C. calidum)

Range

e. US (NY-MN to FL-AZ) to West Indies & Guatemala(1)

Habitat

Deciduous forests, grasslands, cultivated land, beaches.

Season

Spring-fall: Apr-Oct in NC, Mar-Nov in SC(2)

Food

Predatory on other insects, especially caterpillars.

Life Cycle

Eggs are laid singly in soil. Larvae live in soil (predatory?), and overwinter. Adults may live 2-3 years. Adults come to lights.

Works Cited

1.	American Beetles, Volume I: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia By Arnett, R.H., Jr., and M. C. Thomas. (eds.)

2.	Ground Beetles and Wrinkled Bark Beetles of South Carolina By Janet Ciegler

Contributed by Cotinis on 26 March, 2004 - 11:29am
Additional contributions by Peter Messer, v belov
Last updated 21 November, 2010 - 11:18pm

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