Calosoma (Castrida) fulgens Chaudoir 1869

Calosoma fulgens Chaudoir

Calosoma fulgens Chaudoir, 1869:370. [Holotype male, PARAGUAY (Bonpland) (MNHP), as originally given by Chaudoir.]

DIAGNOSTIC COMBINATION.—Color a cupreous sheen with non-contrasting elytral foveae in intervals 3, 7, and 11; middle tibia markedly arcuate; hind angle of pronotum setigerous. Color and luster: dark, metallic green, disc of elytra bright cupreous, mouthparts, appendages, and most of the venter dark piceous, metapistemum with metallic reflections. Form: medium-sized and narrow, females with apparently inflated elytra; eyes large and prominent. Structure: elytral intervals moderately convex; head finely punctulate on disc of frons, more coarsely punctate and rugose laterally. Male with 3 dilated basal protarsal articles each with setiferous pad beneath, metatrochanter ventrally hooked apically, and with median lobe sharply bent laterally near apex. Female without tarsal pads, trochanter hooks, but with multiple setae on sternum VI. Microsculpture mostly effaced from dorsal surface, finely isodiametric where present ABL = 24.0 to 28.0 mm; TW = 10.0 to 11.0 mm (from Gidaspow, 1963).

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.—Gidaspow (1963) stated that these beetles are distributed from Paraguay to Colombia.

NATURAL HISTORY.—According to Gidaspow (1963), this species occurs in grasslands, prairies, and savannas amongst herbaceous vegetation. This kind of habitat results from agricultural practices of mankind, and it is likely that species occurring in northern South America will invade Panama as the forests are cut away to make pastures and croplands. Calosoma fulgens is known from Cali, Colombia, and should be looked for in eastern Panama and on the Azuero Peninsula.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Type (see above), 3 specimens from Ecuador (USNM).

Calosoma fulgens is a species of ground beetle in the subfamily of Carabinae. It was described by Maximilien Chaudoir in 1869.