Calosoma sycophanta (Linné, 1758)

(Fig. 11)

Dispersal power: Macropterous, flight active (Lindroth 1985, 1986). In Israel known from light trapping at middle altitudes of Mt Hermon.

Habitat and natural history: Both larvae and adults are arboreal in deciduous and coniferous woodlands, abundant especially during caterpillar outbreaks (Burgess & Collins 1917; Trautner 2017). In Israel, the species prefers stands with oak species (especially Quercus libani, Q. cerris and Q. boisieri). In Jordan, the two known specimens came from an oak forest close to Jarash (Nasir & Katbeh-Bader 2017), where Quercus calliprinos occurs. Basic life history and ecology aspects of C. sycophanta, including a life span up to 4 years, are described by Burgess (1911 a, b), Burgess & Collins (1915, 1917) and Nolte (1938). The species is favoured by outbreaks of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) and makes a substantial impact on gypsy moth population density, at least in North America (Bess 1961; Campbell 1975; Weseloh 1985 a, b, 1988, 1990). In Turkey, C. sycophanta beetles feed on numerous moth species, including pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa), and may regulate outbreaks of moth species (Kanat & Mol 2008, and references therein) and are used as biocontrol agents (Kanat & Özbolat 2006).

Phenology: In Europe and North America, a spring and early summer breeder with larvae during late spring and summer, adults hibernate (Burgess 1911 a; Lindroth 1985, 1986). In Israel, observed and collected from April to June, mainly in May. Material examined: Syria or Lebanon: 1♂ ‘ Syria, Reitter’. Israel: 1♂ ‘ Palaestina’, Reitter; Har Hermon: Har Hermon: 1♀ 2200 m, 2.vi.1993, V. Chikatunov, 1 eX. (elytra), 2100 m, 17.v.2009, L. Friedman; Har Hermon, 2000 m: 1♂ 10.vi.1977, Y.Hadar, 1♀ 10.vi.1992, R. Kasher, 1♂ 1♀ 25.v.1996, R. Hoffman, 1♀ 12.vi.1996, A. Freidberg, 1♂ 15.v.2001, D. Simon; Har Hermon: 1♀ 1800 m, 12.vi.2003, L. Friedman, 1♀ 1600 m, 17.v.2001, R. Hoffman, 1♂ 1500 m, 21.v.1992, R. Kasher, 1♂ 1500 m, 30.v.1992, E. Oren; 1♀ Majdal Shams, 18.v.2001, V. Kravchenko; 1♂ 1♀ ‘Syrien, Kaifa’ [N Israel, probably Galilee], Reitter (all SMNHTAU); Carmel Ridge: Haifa, Mt Carmel, 11.vi.2012, B. Orbach (COQ).

Distribution range: From Mauretania to Central Asia, northwards to Central Europe (Germany, Poland; records from Scandinavia and Britain are interpreted as accidental visitors; Lindroth 1974, 1985, 1986; Luff 2007), southwards to North Africa (Mediterranean climate zone) (Bruschi 2013; HÄckel 2017). West Siberia is considered a recent range expansion (Stolbov et al. 2018). As an antagonist of Lymantria dispar (Burgess 1911 a), the beetle has been successfully introduced to North America, where its distribution range is still expanding (Schaefer et al. 1999).

Distribution range in southern Levant: Egypt (after HÄckel 2017, but no records given by Alfieri (1976) and Abdel-Dayem (2004)), Jordan (Nasir & Katbeh-Bader 2017), Israel (only known from Carmel Mountains and Mt Hermon; Ptashkovsky (2013) also reports this species but there are no records in his collection), Syria (Bruschi 2013).

Conservation: In Central Europe, the species is threatened and its population is significantly waning (Luka et al. 2009; Schmidt et al. 2016). A similar decline has also been observed at least in the south-western part of the distribution range (pers. obs. in Spain and Italy). A strong sensitivity of beetles towards some pesticides may be the reason for the population drops (cf. Görn 2019).