Ground Beetle
CR

Ground Beetle

Calosoma sycophanta

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calosoma_sycophanta

Overview

Calosoma sycophanta, the forest caterpillar hunter, is a species of ground beetle belonging to the family Carabidae.

Calosoma sycophanta, the forest caterpillar hunter, faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and forest fragmentation. The species is also threatened by pesticide use in agricultural and forestry practices, which reduces both the beetle populations directly and their prey species. Climate change and altered forest management practices further compound these pressures on remaining populations.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species is native to Europe. It is present in most European countries, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in the Nearctic realm, in the Near East, and in North Africa. In 1905 it was imported to New England for control of the gypsy moth.

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Carabidae

Amara crenataCR

Amara crenata

Unknown
Bembidion litoraleCR

Bembidion litorale

Unknown
Anisodactylus signatusCR

Anisodactylus signatus

Unknown
Wood Tiger BeetleCR

Wood Tiger Beetle

Cicindela sylvatica

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Ground Beetle classified as Critically Endangered?
Ground Beetle is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Calosoma sycophanta, the forest caterpillar hunter, faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and forest fragmentation. The species is also threatened by pesticide use in agricultural and forestry practices, which reduces both the beetle populations directly and their prey species. Climate change and altered forest management practices further compound these pressures on remaining populations.
Where does Ground Beetle live?
Ground Beetle occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Ground Beetle?
The main threats to Ground Beetle are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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