Calosoma (Calopachys) blaptoides Putzeys, 1845

Calosoma blaptoide Putzeys 1845: 400 (described from Mexique) original material: 1♀ in former coll. Lacordaide (Géhin, 1881: CXXXIII), actual depository unknown
Eutelodontus Aztecus Géhin, 1881: CXXXII (nomen nudum)
Calosoma (Eutelodontum) blaptoides Géhin, 1885: 66
Eutelodontum depressicolle tehuacanum Lapouge, 1924: 40 (described from: État de Puebla, environs de Tehuacan), original material: 3♂ 1♀ in MNHN (ex coll. Diguet) ; syntypes in Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris and 1 syntipe ♀ in Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden (de Boer, 2002: 113)
Calosoma (Blaptosoma) blaptoides Breuning, 1928: 55
Calosoma (Blaptosoma) blaptoides tehuacanum Breuning, 1928: 55
Calopachys blaptoides Jeannel, 1940: 235
Calosoma (Calopachys) blaptoides Gidaspow, 1959: 301
Calopachys blaptoides Erwin, 2007: 83
Calopachys blaptoides oaxacaensis Lassalle, 2009: 11 (described from: Oaxaca, 30-50 km nord Oaxaca, 2200m); holotype ♂ in coll. Lassalle, 60 paratypes in coll. Lassalle and in coll. van den Berghe
Calopachys blaptoides tlaxiacoensis Lassalle, 2009: 12 (described from: Oaxaca, Sierra de Piedra de Olla, 2600m); holotype ♂ in coll. Lassalle, paratypes in coll. Lassalle and in coll. van den Berghe


Length 20-25 mm. blaptoides is distinguished from other species at first sight, for the color black without metallic reflections and for its elytra smooth with very faint traces of sculpture. The pronotum is transverse with with rounded rear sides.
It occurs in the northern part of Oaxaca State and spreads into Puebla (Tehuacan) and into Veracruz, even though the citations are all very old and the listed places hard to find. On the contrary its presence in Guanajuato (Pueblo Nuevo) is unlikely and Gidaspow (1959: 301), when indicating this, has probably misinterpreted a quote by Breuning (1928b: 56), since the name “Pueblo Nuevo” recurs very frequently in Mexico, and he, in this case refers to a small town in the state of Vera Cruz very close to its southern boundary..
C. blaptoides subsp tehuacanum was reported to be present in Hawaii following successful acclimation experiments carried out in the 1920s (Pemberton, 1964: 698) (Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society, 1952: 348 ) and listed in the Hawaiian fauna as an efficient predator of Lepidoptera Noctuidae (Funasaki & al., 1988: 113). In reality everything arises from an initial error of determination and the citations have to be referred to Calosoma (Callitropa) anthracinum (Liebherr et al., 2023).

Examined specimens and literature’s data
Mexico. Oaxaca: between Oaxaca and Tlaxiaco, 2750 m (SB), between Cerro Mochin and Ixtlan, 2900 m (AVT), Benito Juarez national park (SB), Llanos de Flores (SB), 30-50 km nord Oaxaca, 2200 m (Lassalle, 2009: 11), Sierra de Piedra de Olla, 2600 m (Lassalle, 2009: 12), Capulalpan (Bates, 1884: 23), between St. Ines del Monte and Cuatro Venados, San Martín Itunyoso, Huajuapan de León (UASM); Puebla: Tehuacan (type of tehuacanum; MNHN); Vera Cruz: Cerro de Plumas (= Cerro de la Palma) (Bates, 1884: 23), Pueblo Nuevo (Breuning, 1928b: 56).

Notes: Brachypterous. It lives in a variety of habitats, more frequently in dry forests on medium altitude from 2200 to 2700 (Lassalle, 2009: 12) but can arrive up to 3300m (Erwin, 2007: 83). It is nocturnal and, in daytime, it seeks shelter under leaf litter. Adults were collected in July and August on the basis of examined material but, according to Erwin, they can be found in the entire period from May to August.

Calosoma (Calopachys) blaptoides
Putzeys, 1845
Mexico, Oaxaca, between Oaxaca and Tlaxiaco 2750m, VII.2008
Calosoma (Calopachys) blaptoides
Putzeys, 1845
Mexico, Oaxaca, between Oaxaca and Tlaxiaco 2750m, VII.2008
Calosoma (Calopachys) blaptoides
Putzeys, 1845
Mexico, Oaxaca,(syntipe of Calosoma tehuacanum Lapouge)
(coll. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris)

updated December 2 2023

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