View source for Calosoma

{{Short description|Genus of beetles}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Calosoma.sycophanta.-.calwer.04.09.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Calosoma sycophanta]]''
| taxon = Calosoma
| authority = [[Friedrich Weber (entomologist)|Weber]], 1801
| subdivision_ranks = Subgenera
| subdivision =
: ''Blaptosoma'' <small>Gehin, 1876</small>
: ''Callisphaena'' <small>Motschulsky, 1859</small>
: ''Callistenia'' <small>Lapouge, 1929</small>
: ''Callisthenes'' <small>Fischer von Waldheim, 1820</small>
: ''Callitropa'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
: ''Calopachys'' <small>Haury, 1880</small>
: ''Calosoma'' <small>Weber, 1801</small>
: ''Caminara'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
: ''Campalita'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
: ''Carabomimus'' <small>Kolbe, 1895</small>
: ''Carabomorphus'' <small>Kolbe, 1895</small>
: ''Carabophanus'' <small>Kolbe, 1895</small>
: ''Carabops'' <small>Jakobson, 1900</small>
: ''Carabosoma'' <small>Géhin, 1885</small>
: ''Castrida'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
: ''Charmosta'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
: ''Chrysostigma'' <small>Kirby, 1837</small>
: ''Ctenosta'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
: ''Elgonorites'' <small>Jeannel, 1940</small>
: ''Microcallisthenes'' <small>Apfelbeck, 1918</small>
: ''Neocalosoma'' <small>Breuning, 1927</small>
: ''Orinodromus'' <small>Kolbe, 1895</small>
: ''Teratexis'' <small>Semenov & Znojko, 1933</small>
| synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true
| ''Callisoma'' <small>Agassiz, 1846 (Unj. Emend.)</small>
| ''Calamata'' <small>Motschulsky, 1865</small>
| ''Callistriga'' <small>Motschulsky, 1865</small>
| ''Callipara'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
| ''Callistrata'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
| ''Camedula'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
| ''Calodrepa'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
| ''Campolyta'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
| ''Cosmoplata'' <small>Motschulsky, 1866</small>
| ''Eutelodontum'' <small>Gehin, 1881</small>
| ''Aulacopterum'' <small>Gehin, 1885</small>
| ''Tapinosthenes'' <small>Kolbe, 1895</small>
| ''Calister'' <small>Reitter, 1896</small>
| ''Acamegonia'' <small>Lapouge, 1924</small>
| ''Camegonia'' <small>Lapouge, 1924</small>
| ''Isostenia'' <small>Lapouge, 1929</small>
| ''Microcalosoma'' <small>Breuning, 1927</small>
| ''Paracalosoma'' <small>Breuning, 1927</small>
| ''Syncalosoma'' <small>Breuning, 1927</small>
| ''Acampalita'' <small>Lapouge, 1929</small>
| ''Australodrepa'' <small>Lapouge, 1929</small>
| ''Catasoma'' <small>Lapouge, 1929</small>
| ''Catastriga'' <small>Lapouge, 1929</small>
| ''Eremosoma'' <small>Lapouge, 1929</small>
| ''Lyperostenia'' <small>Lapouge, 1929</small>
| ''Paratropa'' <small>Lapouge, 1929</small>
| ''Acalosoma'' <small>Lafer, 1989/1990</small>}}
}}
[[File:Calosoma planicolle Chaudoir, 1869 (3586591230) (2).jpg|thumb|''Calosoma planicolle'']]
[[File:Calosoma senegalense Dejean, 1831 (3887607030).jpg|thumb|''Calosoma senegalense'']]
[[File:Calosoma scrutator by Alejandro Santillana "Insects Unlocked" Project.jpg|thumb|''Calosoma scrutator'' by Alejandro Santillana "Insects Unlocked" Project, University of Texas at Austin]]
'''''Calosoma''''' is a genus of large [[ground beetle]]s that occur primarily throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and are referred to as '''caterpillar hunters''' or '''caterpillar searchers'''. Many of the 167 species are largely or entirely black, but some have bright metallic coloration. They produce a foul-smelling spray from [[gland]]s near the tip of the abdomen. They are recognizable due to their large [[thorax]], which is almost the size of their abdomen and much wider than their head.<ref>Powell & Hogue (1979), California Insects. p. 262.</ref>
''Calosoma'' has about 20 subgenera, including some former genera such as ''Callisthenes''.<ref name=catlife/><ref name=Bruschi2021/>
==History==
In 1905, ''[[Calosoma sycophanta]]'' was imported to [[New England]] for control of the [[Lymantria dispar|spongy moth]]. The species is a voracious consumer of caterpillars during both its larval stage and as an adult, as are other species in the genus. For this reason, they are generally considered [[beneficial insects]]. Several species of this beetle, most notably the [[Calosoma semilaeve|black calosoma]] (''Calosoma semilaeve'') are especially common in the [[California]] area.
==See also==
* [[List of Calosoma species]]
==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=catlife>
{{Cite web| title=''Calosoma'' Weber, 1801
| url=https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/8KVFX
| website=Catalogue of Life
| access-date=2023-03-16
}}</ref>
<ref name=Bruschi2021>
{{Cite web| title = Calosoma of the World| url=https://www.calosomas.com/
| last1 = Bruschi| first1 = Sandro
| access-date=2023-03-16
}}</ref>
}}
{{refbegin}}
* [[Friedrich Weber (entomologist)|Friedrich Weber]] 1801: ''Obs. Ent''., '''20'''; Fabricius 1801, ''Syst. Eleuth''., '''1''': 211.
* [http://www.zin.ru/animalia/coleoptera/eng/calosom.htm Ground beetles of the genus ''Calosoma'' (Carabidae): atlas of beetles of Russia]
* [http://www.zin.ru/ANIMALIA/COLEOPTERA/eng/callisth.htm Detailed catalogue of ground beetles of the genus ''Callisthenes'' Fischer von Waldheim, 1821]
* Powell & Hogue (1979), California Insects. p.&nbsp;262.
{{refend}}
==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Wikispecies-inline|Calosoma}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090514051113/http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/kyf304.html Ground Beetles], Susan Mahr,University of Wisconsin-Madison.
* [https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id81/ Forest Caterpillar Hunter], BioLib.cz.
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1317479}}
[[Category:Calosoma| ]]
[[Category:Carabidae genera]]
[[Category:Insects used as insect pest control agents]]