Description: A large (16-22mm) bronze arboreal 'ground' beetle of oak woodland. Feeds on caterpillars in oak canopy, particularly on geometrids. Lives under loose bark and in cracks in bark and aestivates in deep subterranean earth cells. Has suffered greatly from the loss of mature oak woodland in Ireland. Presumed extinct.

NI account: The only confirmed Irish records are for Powerscourt Demesne, Wicklow where it was seen in 1839 and in 1856 (Johnson & Halbert, 1902). There have been no subsequent records and the habitat is now damaged by inappropriate forest management (Speight et al., 1983).

Ecology: An oligophagous species of oak forest, feeding primarily on a few species of Geometridae and Tortricidae (Lepidoptera). It has evidently suffered with the destruction of the native Irish forests and is presumed extinct.

Distribution: A Eurasian Wide-temperate species (65) distributed across Europe to Asia Minor, Iran and the Caucasus, with isolated populations in eastern Siberia and Japan.

Similar Species: Carabus species: mandibles smooth; pronotum not transverse or not so transverse; second antennal segment not fore-shortened (Fig. 13)

Key Identification Features:

• Large, near trees
• Mandibles wrinkled
• 16 elytral striae
• Bronze with margins and underside greenish
• Pronotum transverse (Fig. 14)
• Second antennal segment very small in proportion to others (Fig. 13)

Distribution Map from NBN: Calosoma inquisitor at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Calosoma inquisitor at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Calosoma inquisitor | Classification: Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Calosoma

Thumbnails for genus Calosoma