Calosoma (Callitropa) laeve Dejean, 1826

Length 25-28 mm. All the species previously collected in Blaptosoma have a squat and convex body shape and this is particularly true for laeve and atrovirens. laeve has a strongly transverse pronotum with large rear lobes and it has smooth elytra. It differs, however, more easily from atrovirens because his head has only a superficial punctuation.
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 (Madera), Gidaspow (1959) described Calosoma (Blaptosoma) chihuahua. It is very similar to C. laeve, of which it has the same type of the male copulatory organ, but from which it would differ essentially because of the presence of a border on the anterior margin of pronotum, a more wide scutellum, and because of the less smooth ventral side. It is difficult to decide about the actual systematic position of this proposed species. The differences from C. laeve, listed in the 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. Chihuahua: Madera (sub C. chihuahua; AMNH, NMB), 8.9 km W of Madera, Colonia Garcia (sub C. chihuahua; UASM), 15 Km N. Madera, 2100m (SB; RS), Pedernales (Gidaspow, 1959: 284), Minaca (UASM); Hidalgo: Tula (EM, SB), Atotonilco (SB), El Solino (SB), Ajacuba (Lassalle & Van Den Berghe, 2013:162); Jalisco: 43 km NE of Tamazula (UASM); Nuevo Leon: Alta Vista (Gidaspow, 1959: 284); Mexico: Chapingo (Gidaspow, 1959: 284), Mexico City (Breuning, 1928 b: 46), Sierra de Guadalupe (SB); Michoacán: Morelia, Patzcuaro (Gidaspow, 1959: 284), Maravatio (Breuning, 1928b: 46); Morelos: Cuernavaca (Breuning, 1928 b: 46); Puebla: Puebla city (Breuning, 1928 b: 46); San Luis Potosi: around the city (Lassalle & Van Den Berghe, 2013:162); Vera Cruz: Perote (Breuning, 1928 b: 46).

Notes: Brachypterous. It lives on upland around 2000 - 2400m. Active individuals have been found from May to August, according to data of the examined materials, or up to to November, according to Erwin (2007: 97).

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 (holotype of Calosoma chevrolati Dejean, 1837) (coll. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris)

Calosoma (Callitropa) laeve ♂ Dejean, 1826 Mexico, Chihuahua: Oeste de Madera, VI.66 (sub Calosoma (Blaptosoma) chihuahua Gidaspow, 1959) (coll. Naturhistorischen Museum Basel)

Calosoma (Callitropa) laeve ♂ Dejean, 1826 Mexico, Chihuahua: Oeste de Madera, VI.66 (sub Calosoma (Blaptosoma) chihuahua Gidaspow, 1959) (coll. Naturhistorischen Museum Basel)