Calosoma (Australodrepa) oceanicum Perroud & Montrouzier 1864
C. oceanicum, which spreads to several islands of the archipelagos surrounding Australia, and lives in the Australian continent itself, has the upper body of a metallic colour, variable from dark purple to golden greenish, with the ventral side also metallic, but always darker.
In comparison with C. schayeri, the other Australian species, C. oceanicum can be easily identified because the the body shape, although somewhat variable in size and proportions, is less stocky, the striae of the elytra are only superficially punctured, the interstriae almost smooth and the articles of the maxillary palps distinctly longer. In males all the tarsal segments of the front legs are hairy on the underside, and the aedeagus has the apex somewhat elongated and the ligula with a triangular end.
The differences, albeit slight, of form and the variations of color , had led to distinguish various subspecies: oceanicum of Nouvelle-Calédonie; timorense of Lesser Sunda; walkeri of the northern part of Australian continent; klynstrai of South eastern Moluccans.
The differences between them are not constant, as the variability of single individuals is very high. At most we can distinguish between two groups of populations: one (oceanicum) that lives in the archipelagos east and north of the Australian continent and in the north of Australian continent itself, with individuals of variable body shape, mostly dark purple; and another one (klynstrai), in the facing south eastern Moluccans islands, with slender individuals constantly brightly colored, often two-tone.
 Linette Umbrello's blog. Western Australian Museum |
Calosoma (Australodrepa) oceanicum oceanicum Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864
Calosoma oceanicum Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864: 49; (described from Kanala) lectotype ♀ designated by Deuve (1978: 248) in Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris [examined]
Calosoma timorense Chaudoir, 1869: 367; (type material: 1 ♀ from Timor, Atapoupou) holotype designated by Deuve (1978: 248) by monotypy in Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris [examined]
Calosoma walkeri Waterhouse, 1898: 98; (described from Swam river) syntypes in Natural History Museum, London (Jeannel, 1940: 74) and in Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden (de Boer, 2002: 121)
Calosoma (Australodrepa) timorensis Lapouge, 1932: 407
Calosoma (Australodrepa) walkeri Lapouge, 1932: 408
Calosoma (Australodrepa) oceanica Lapouge, 1932: 408
Australodrepa oceanicum Jeannel, 1940: 74
Australodrepa oceanicum walkeri Jeannel, 1940: 74
Calosoma oceanicum lombocense Häckel et al., 2005: 4; (type locality: Lombok) holotype ♀ in coll. Häckel, Prague
Length 26-33 mm. The nominal form (C. oceanicum oceanicum) includes populations with the upper body single-colored olivaceous. However there is a cline of geographic variability that ranges from populations of Nouvelle-Calédonie (topotypical population), consisting of individuals on average larger (28-33 mm.) and squat, arriving to populations with smaller (16-26 mm.) individuals, slightly slimmer and tending to a lighter color, that are found in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago (timorense) and in the north, center, and southwest of the Australian continent (walkeri). In the northwest of the continent you can meet rare individuals with more vivid metallic color, having elytra green or bronze and darker greenish pronotum. These individuals are quite similar to those encountered in the eastern South Moluccans islands.
From the westernmost islands of the group of the Lesser Sunda, Lombok and Sumbawa, a distinct subspecies (Calosoma oceanicum lombocense Häckel et al. 2005) has been described, based on small differences in the elytral microsculptures and in the punctuation of head and pronotum.
Examined specimens and literature’s data
Australia. New South Wales: Menindee (www.inaturalist.org); Northern Territory: Yuendumu, 650 m (EM, SB), Banka Banka (NMP), Katherine (SB), Uluru (SB), Warrego (Jeannel, 1940: 74), Yulara, Petermann (www.inaturalist.org); Qeensland: Dawson distr. (Breuning, 1927: 159), Kap York (Breuning, 1927: 159), Charters Towers (http://spatial.ala.org.au), Rochford Scrub, Aramac, Roma (www.gbif.org/), Humbug Creek (SB); South Australia: Ingomar, Mount Clarence Station (www.inaturalist.org), Coober Pedy (http://spatial.ala.org.au); Western Australia: Rothsay, Emu Flat, Castletown, Ngaanyatjarra-Giles, Leinster, Kumarina, Leonora, Yulara (www.inaturalist.org), Broome (SB), Milly Soak (SB), Swan river (Breuning, 1927: 159), Esperance, Meekatharra (http://spatial.ala.org.au), Exmouth (www.flickr.com/), Barrow Island (www.padil.gov.au/), Geraldton, Norseman (www.gbif.org/)
Indonesia. Lesser Sunda Archipelago: Atapupu (Timor) (type timorense, MNHN); Timor West: Kefamenanu (www.inaturalist.org); Lombok, Sumawa (sub lombocense, Häckel et al. 2005: 4); Flores (GP); Alor (SB); Pantar (chaminade-entomologie.com); Wetar (GP, SB)
Nouvelle Calédonie (France). Province Nord: Pouembout (www.inaturalist.org), Canala (type oceanicum , MNHN); Province Sud: Yaté: baie de Kouakoué (www.inaturalist.org), Nouméa (SB), Farino (SB), Bourail: Poé (GP; SB); Iles Loyauté: Lifou (Breuning, 1927: 157) Mucaweng village (SB)
Notes: Nocturnal, winged, actracted by light. It is capable of living in extremely varied habitats. In New Caledonia it has been observed in forest hidden under fallen logs. Active individuals, that are caterpillar feeder, were captured from October to March during the relatively less humid and hottest period of the year, before the beginning of the raining season, and in some occasion they may be found very abundant.
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 Kanala (lectotype) (coll. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris) |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 Atapoupou, Timor (type of Calosoma timorense Chaudoir) (coll. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris) |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 New Caledonia: Poe beach, I.2005 (coll. Pontuale) |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 New Caledonia: Poe beach, I.2005 (coll. Pontuale) |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 Indonesia: Lesser Sundas, Wetar island, North coast, Anpala env., 14.I.2007, S. Jaki leg., (coll. Pontuale) |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 Indonesia: Lesser Sundas, Flores island, X.2005, (coll. Pontuale) |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 West Australia: Cue Milly Soak, 6.2.2003, Hovorka lg. |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 West Australia: Cue Milly Soak, 6.2.2003, Hovorka lg. |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 West Australia: Cue Milly Soak, 6.2.2003, Hovorka lg. |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 West Australia: Broome, 14.2.91 |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 West Australia: S. Kimberley, Broome env. , XII.2011 |
 Perroud & Montrouzier, 1864 West Australia: S. Kimberley, Broome env. , XII.2011 |
Calosoma (Australodrepa) oceanicum klynstrai Breuning, 1927
Calosoma oceanicum klynstrai Breuning, 1927: 158; (described from Tanimbar) holotype ♂ in Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden (de Boer, 2002: 65)
Calosoma (Australodrepa) timorensis sensu Lapouge, 1932: 407 (nec Chaudoir, 1869)
Australodrepa oceanicum klynstrai Jeannel, 1940: 74
Length 22-28 mm. The populations we gather in C. oceanicum klynstrai consist mainly of relatively slim individuals with with green pronotum and bronze elytra, or, more rarely, with the upper body uniformly green or bronze. They are located in eastern South Moluccans islands (Sermata) and in Tanimbar archipelago (Yamdena).
The constancy of the upper body colour suggests a possible distinction at subspecies level, however we have to remember that in the northwest of the Australian continent we meet rare individuals with similar color, probably for the possibility of gene exchanges between the two populations, making the classification of some of these individuals problematic.
Examined specimens and literature’s data :
Indonesia. Southeast Moluccas islands: Seram (Ebay, 2020), Sermata (Hackel et Al, 2005), Yamdena (SB), Molu (SB).
Notes: This beetle has been named after B. H. Klynstra (1885-1959) a Dutch entomologist who provided the specimens described by Breuning.
As the other populations of the same species, C. oceanicum klynstrai is winged, mostly nocturnal, and easily attracted to light. Active individuals were captured in December and later in March, just before the beginning of the raining season.
 Breuning, 1927 Indonesia: Tanimbar, Isola Yamdena, XII.08 |
 Breuning, 1927 Indonesia: Tanimbar, Isola Yamdena, III.2009 |
 reported presence of Calosoma (Australodrepa) oceanicum oceanicum (blue dot) and Calosoma (Australodrepa) oceanicum klinstrai (red dot) in Indonesia |