Calosoma calidum

(Fabricius, 1775)

Fiery Hunter, Fiery Searcher

Calosoma calidum, commonly known as the fiery hunter or fiery searcher, is a large ground beetle in the Carabidae. measure 19–27 mm in length and are distinguished by black with rows of red or gold spots or pits. The is active as both larvae and adults, preying on caterpillars. It occurs throughout Canada and the northern and eastern United States, typically in fields and disturbed .

Calosoma calidum by (c) Thilina Hettiarachchi, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Thilina Hettiarachchi. Used under a CC-BY license.Calosoma calidum 165879471 by Nick Bédard. Used under a CC0 license.Calosoma calidum - inat 203401532 by {{{name}}}. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Calosoma calidum: /kæloʊˈsoʊmə ˈkælɪdəm/

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Images

Habitat

Fields and disturbed .

Distribution

Canada and the northern and eastern parts of the United States.

Diet

Larvae and prey upon caterpillars.

Ecological Role

of caterpillars, including pest such as fall cankerworms, spring cankerworms, gypsy moth larvae, and eastern tent caterpillars. are arboreal, ascending trees to hunt caterpillars.

Human Relevance

Considered beneficial for of caterpillar pests. produce potent chemical defenses including methacrylic acid and salicylaldehyde when disturbed.

Similar Taxa

  • Calosoma scrutatorSimilar appearance and 'fiery searcher'; C. scrutator is larger (25 mm or more), has more elongated and , and more intense purple coloration on the pronotum.
  • Calosoma wilcoxiSmaller cousin, about one third the size of C. scrutator; similar arboreal hunting on caterpillars but distinguished by smaller size.

Sources and further reading