The subgenus Calosoma s. str. includes the species with the ligula of the endophallus not sclerified ("Calosomes lobés" group of Jeannel, 1940) that have the metaepisternum with fine and dense punctuation.
In all species of the subgenus, the sculpture of the elytron is characterized by 16 intervals ("triploïde" type), that are distinctly separated by the striae and have the same height and width ("homodyname" type of Jeannel).
The subgenus includes six species with oloartic diffusion: sycophanta is found in the Mediterranean region, in the whole Europe, and from Asia Minor to central Asia and western Siberia; beesoni and himalayanum are limited to the western Himalayan region; maximoviczi is definitely oriental, from China to Eastern Siberia; inquisitor, with populations more or less differentiated, occurs in the whole Palearctic region, and largely overlaps the territories of the previous species; frigidum is vicarious of inquisitor in the Neoartic region.