Calosoma sycophanta was introduced to the United States in 1906 from Europe. This beetle was intentionally released near Boston, MA, in order to control outbreaks of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar -also introduced from Europe.
Calosoma sycophanta has no special status.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
The beetle goes through egg, larval, and pupal stages of development before reaching adulthood. The eggs of C. sycophanta are laid in the soil. After the eggs hatch, the larva mature within two to three weeks, during which they feed underground and then pupate and metamorphosis. After emerging as an adult, the beetle remains in the pupal cell, where it hibernates until the following spring; older adults also enter the soil to hibernate.
Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis
Calosoma sycophanta does not have a negative economic influence on humans.
The presence of Calosoma sycophanta can help regulate outbreaks of gypsy moths by consuming gypsy moth larvae. Gypsy moths can be devestating to trees as their larvae consume huge amounts of plant material every year.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
Calosoma sycophanta is a predator, feeding on tent caterpillars, gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) caterpillars and pupae, cankerworms, cutworms, and other forest caterpillars. Members of the Calosoma genus are often referred to as "caterpillar hunters." The larvae, like the adults, also feed on pupae and caterpillars. Calosoma sycophanta are one of the only known ground beetles to regularly climb plants to forage. Larvae also climb trees in search of prey, requiring more food than do adults. An individual larva feeds day and night, consuming 50 caterpillars during its two-week developmental period. A single adult will eat several hundred caterpillars during its lifetime.
Animal Foods: insects
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )
The species Calosoma sycophanta originated in central Europe and Asia. From there it was collected and released in the United States. It's current range extends from southern Maine and all New England states south into Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia. C. sycophanta's geographic region also expands past the northern border of the United States and inhabits the southern part of Canada.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced ); palearctic (Native )
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
These beetles have a lifespan of two to four years.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 2 to 4 years.
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
Calosoma sycophanta females lay eggs in the spring.
Breeding season: Spring
Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous
After eggs are laid by the female, there is no further parental investment.
Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning)
Calosoma sycophanta, the forest caterpillar hunter, is a species of ground beetle belonging to the family Carabidae.
Calosoma sycophanta can reach a length of about 21–35 millimetres (0.83–1.38 in). This large ground beetle has characteristic metallic bright green elytra, while scutellum is metallic bluish. The head is black. These colors have iridescent shades that change (green, blue, bronze, copper, gold black) according to the direction and quality of light. Pronotum is transverse shaped, posteriorly sharply narrowed, wrinkled and punctured. Elytra are flattened with clearly visible punctures in the striae.[2]
This ground beetle is a voracious consumer of caterpillars (especially Lymantria dispar, Thaumetopoea processionea, Thaumetopoea pityocampa and Euproctis chrysorrhoea) during both its larval stage and as an adult.[3][4][5][6]
As a predator the species has been researched for the effect of its predation upon the caterpillars with microsporidian pathogens, finding a preference for Vairimorpha disparis infected larva.[7]
This species is native to Europe. It is present in most European countries, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in the Nearctic realm, in the Near East, and in North Africa.[8] In 1905 it was imported to New England for control of the gypsy moth.[3]
Adult of Calosoma sycophanta preying on a caterpillar of Lymantria dispar
Calosoma sycophanta, larva
Calosoma sycophanta larva eating a Lymantria dispar larva
Calosoma sycophanta, pupa
Media related to Calosoma sycophanta at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Calosoma sycophanta at WikispeciesCalosoma sycophanta, the forest caterpillar hunter, is a species of ground beetle belonging to the family Carabidae.
Calosoma sycophanta, male and female. Mounted specimen
