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Species Calosoma sayi - Black Caterpillar Hunter

Black Caterpillar Hunter - Calosoma sayi Black Caterpillar Hunter - Calosoma sayi Weird Beetle - Calosoma sayi Weird Beetle - Calosoma sayi Beetle - Calosoma sayi Calosoma sayi Dejean - Calosoma sayi - male Black Caterpillar Hunter Beetle - Calosoma sayi - male Unknown Beetle - Calosoma sayi
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.