Calosoma (Callitropa) laeve Dejean, 1826

Length 25-28 mm. C. laeve, C. anthracinum, and C. atrovirens share a common glossy black coloration, smooth elytra, and a transverse pronotum. C. laeve and C. anthracinum, while superficially similar to C. atrovirens, can be distinguished by the absence of deep, elongated dimples near the basal angles of their pronotums. Additionally, a closer examination reveals that their heads have only superficial dots.
C. laeve can be further differentiated from C. anthracinum by its squat body shape. This is particularly evident in its more strongly transverse pronotum with larger lateral margins and well-developed rear lobes.
It is commonly encountered in central Mexico: Hidalgo, Puebla, Vera Cruz, Michoacán, Mexico, Morelos. It is also found farther north: Nuevo Leon and Chihuahua.
From the state of Chihuahua (Madeira), Gidaspow (1959) described Calosoma (Blaptosoma) chihuahua. It is very similar to C. laeve, of which it has the same type of male copulatory organ, but from which it would differ for the consistently smaller size, the head more finely punctate, and for the lateral margin of the pronotum less wide at the base, as well as for a series of characteristics that could bring it closer to the subgenus Carabomimus, such as the pronotum lacking the apical margin bead, and the less wide than long scutellum. It is difficult to decide about the actual systematic position of this proposed species. The differences from C. laeve, listed in the original description, and checked on the typical series, would lead us rather to believe that it is a population of C. laeve, slightly differentiated but not necessarily distinct.

Examined specimens and literature’s data
Mexico. Aguascalientes: El Zepo (www.inaturalist.org); Chihuahua: Madera (sub C. chihuahua; AMNH, NMB), 8.9 km W of Madera, Colonia Garcia (sub C. chihuahua; UASM), 15 Km N. Madera, 2100m (sub C. chihuahua; SB; RS), Meoqui (www.inaturalist.org), Pedernales (Gidaspow, 1959: 284), Minaca (UASM); Durango: Los Barros (www.inaturalist.org); Guanajuato (Bates, 1884: 22): Tarandacuao (www.inaturalist.org); Hidalgo: Tula (EM, SB), Atotonilco (SB), El Solino (SB), Ajacuba (Lassalle & Van Den Berghe, 2013:162), Santa Maria Amajac, Mineral del Monte (www.inaturalist.org); Jalisco: 43 km NE of Tamazula (UASM), Lagos de Moreno, Mezquitic (www.inaturalist.org); Mexico DF: Chapingo (Gidaspow, 1959: 284), Mexico City (Bates, 1884: 22), Xochimilco, Tepotzotlán (www.inaturalist.org), Sierra de Guadalupe (SB), Colonia Coyoacán, San Juan Teotihuacán (www.gbif.org), zona arqueologica Teotihuacán, Tequixquiac, Apaxco de Ocampo, Ixtapaluca (www.inaturalist.org); Michoacán: Morelia, Patzcuaro (Gidaspow, 1959: 284), Maravatio (Breuning, 1928b: 46), Tangamandapio (www.inaturalist.org); Morelos: Cuernavaca (Breuning, 1928 b: 46); Nuevo Leon: Alta Vista (Gidaspow, 1959: 284); Puebla: Esperanza (Bates, 1884: 22), Puebla city (Bates, 1991: 225), Chignahuapan (www.inaturalist.org); San Luis Potosi: around the city (Lassalle & Van Den Berghe, 2013:162)); Tlaxaca: Tetla de la Solidaridad, Panotla (www.inaturalist.org); Vera Cruz: Jalapa, Perote (Bates, 1884: 22); Zacatecas: Sombreretillo (www.inaturalist.org).

Notes: Brachypterous. It lives on upland around 2000 - 2400m. Active individuals have been found from May to August, according to the data of the examined materials, or up to to November, according to Erwin (2007: 97). In the Hawaii island, if our identification is correct, its habitat and phenology seem to be quite different. In fact the species is present on the nortrhern plateau from 50m., near the sea coast, to 800m., inland. Moreover, it was observed active mostly in Febtuary-March and in a single case in June.

Calosoma (Callitropa) laeve ♂ Dejean, 1826 Mexico, Hidalgo: Atotonilco, 24.V.1947, 2.400m., G.v.V. Alffter leg.

Calosoma (Callitropa) laeve ♀ Dejean, 1826 Mexico, Hidalgo: El Solino, 28.VII.1963, F. Sánchez leg.

Calosoma (Callitropa) laeve ♂ Dejean, 1826 Mexique (lectotype of Calosoma chevrolatii Dejean, 1837) (coll. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris)

Calosoma (Callitropa) laeve ♂ Dejean, 1826 (sub Calosoma (Blaptosoma) chihuahua Gidaspow, 1959) Mexico, Chihuahua: 15 Km N. Madera, 2100m. 30,VII,1990, W Heinz lgt.

Calosoma (Callitropa) laeve ♀ Dejean, 1826 (sub Calosoma (Blaptosoma) chihuahua Gidaspow, 1959) Mexico, Chihuahua: 15 Km N. Madera, 2100m. 30,VII,1990, W Heinz lgt.