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Post by trehopr1 on Feb 6, 2021 16:02:39 GMT -8
Some ground beetles (Carabidae) can be spectacularly colorful surprisingly... Most of us kind of get used to seeing (most of what we encounter) from this family as being well -- black. However, some of the "caterpillar hunter" types (Calosoma)are exceptions -- at least here in the U.S. Now, I really don't want to sound like a "generalist" because after all their are AT LEAST 30,000 species of Carabidae known and more yet to be discovered. Likely, the 4th or 5th largest beetle family ! Anyway, here I have a splendid "trio" of a really wonderful carabid species from Europe. I cannot remember the locality data (off hand) but, I am looking for a species name for it... I can check locality if needed but, I'm certain a bold species like this should be well known. Please feel free to suggest any species determinations. I wonder if it comes in other colors ?  |
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Post by livingplanet3 on Feb 6, 2021 16:15:21 GMT -8
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Post by trehopr1 on Feb 6, 2021 16:33:02 GMT -8
By jove, you pointed me at least in the right direction !
After further delving I now believe this is a (Carabus) species -- possibly hispanus.
Thank you indeed livingplanet3 for the quick reply.
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Post by 58chevy on Feb 7, 2021 12:35:39 GMT -8
Beautiful specimens, trehopr. Probably the most intensely green N. American carabid is Calosoma aurocinctum, which barely reaches into the US along the Mexican border. It's like C. scrutator on metallic steroids. When the sun shines on it, it's almost blindingly brilliant. Here's a link: bugguide.net/node/view/283936 |
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Post by trehopr1 on Feb 7, 2021 12:54:39 GMT -8
Good heavens, that C. aurocinctum is indeed an incredible species..
If I might ask have you had any good fortune in collecting it yourself 58chevy ?
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Post by 58chevy on Feb 7, 2021 13:34:56 GMT -8
I've collected aurocinctum on only one occasion. They don't stray into the US every year, but when they do it's usually in large numbers. Seeing hundreds of them together in the sunlight is a sight to behold. I only captured a half dozen of them for my collection.
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Post by bandrow on Feb 9, 2021 19:59:19 GMT -8
Hi All, In the eastern U.S., Calosoma scrutator and the introduced Calosoma sycophanta are both quite the lookers. But one of my favorites is the green form of Scaphinotus (Irichroa) viduus, considered by some to be an undescribed species. Not only does it sparkle a brilliant golden-green in the light of a headlamp as they hunt snails on tree trunks at night, it's fun and, oddly, mentally relaxing to walk the woods at midnight looking for them. I've collected them numerous times, but never get tired of seeing them!! Cheers! Bandrow |
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Post by 58chevy on Feb 10, 2021 7:37:18 GMT -8
Bandrow,
What are the ranges of C. sycophanta & S. viduus? Where was sycophanta introduced from?
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Post by livingplanet3 on Feb 10, 2021 8:22:06 GMT -8
Bandrow, What are the ranges of C. sycophanta & S. viduus? Where was sycophanta introduced from? C. sycophanta was intentionally introduced to New England in 1905 from Europe, to help control the gypsy moth (which had also been intentionally introduced, several decades earlier). |
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kristof56
Junior Member
Posts: 24
Country: FRANCE
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Post by kristof56 on Feb 10, 2021 13:30:55 GMT -8
Chrysocarabus hispanus endemic to France. Christophe  |
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Post by bandrow on Feb 10, 2021 13:40:40 GMT -8
Bandrow, What are the ranges of C. sycophanta & S. viduus? Where was sycophanta introduced from? Greetings, Livingplanet3 is correct about Calosoma sycophanta. It's primarily found in the NE states, but I have taken it in southern PA near the WV border as well as in the eastern WV panhandle. The Scaphinotus viduus is found from the higher ridges east of Pittsburgh (where it is purple) south into the Appalachians. The green form is found in the higher elevations of the mountains in eastern West Virginia. Cheers! Bandrow |
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Post by livingplanet3 on Feb 10, 2021 14:37:52 GMT -8
Bandrow, What are the ranges of C. sycophanta & S. viduus? Where was sycophanta introduced from? Greetings, Livingplanet3 is correct about Calosoma sycophanta. It's primarily found in the NE states, but I have taken it in southern PA near the WV border as well as in the eastern WV panhandle. The Scaphinotus viduus is found from the higher ridges east of Pittsburgh (where it is purple) south into the Appalachians. The green form is found in the higher elevations of the mountains in eastern West Virginia. Cheers! Bandrow I assume that C. sycophanta does not range as far west as Texas, and that the similar looking green species I see here is C. scrutator? |
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Post by bandrow on Feb 10, 2021 19:07:09 GMT -8
Hi livingplanet3,
No - I haven't even seen a specimen from as far west as Ohio, and on BugGuide, they only show a record for New Jersey.
In Texas, you should find C. scrutator throughout the state, C. aurocinctum in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and C. willcoxi is there too, but I'm not sure how far into Texas from the North it gets.
And nothing beats seeing the Calosoma outbreaks in southern Texas that follow the migrations of snout butterflies in the fall. Once in Alice, Texas, I saw swarms of literally millions of Calosoma, consisting of a mix of at least 4 species. They were so thick that the telephone poles looked as if they were covered with tar for the bottom 6-8 feet, the pool at the hotel where we stayed had a literal 'slick' of black beetles on the surface, and when one drove down the streets, it looked as if the pavement was flowing ahead of us... stunning!!
Cheers!
Bandrow
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Post by trehopr1 on Feb 12, 2021 20:29:02 GMT -8
Just wondering fella's if these are a Scaphinotus species... A friend collected them for me in Squim, Washington at the John Wayne marina. Half to get around to pinning them out sometime. Wonderful combination of overall patent leather black with a purple overlay.  |
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Post by trehopr1 on Feb 12, 2021 21:08:20 GMT -8
Here is a picture of the "biggest" stink'in natural-looking ground beetle that I have ever seen. The name on its data label read Mouhotia sp. I don't remember the country of origin but, I'm telling you this one was a monster -- even dwarfing another of its own genus (to the right of it). Not mine of coarse but, that of a fellow collector's.  |
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