Body length: 8 - 16 mm Life cycle: 2 years Adults in: June - August Host plant: coniferous trees (Picea, Abies, Pinus) Distribution: Central, East and North Europe, France Callidium coriaceum is a rare mountainous species associated with mainly spruce in Central Europe. In N Slovak Republic the authors of this site have once observed the species flying to a dying spruce (Figure) of a large diameter. One day spent in a close proximity to the tree resulted in capturing about 12 specimens of this rare animal. Although the beetle seems to be coloured in a rather striking way it is very difficult to see it on the bark of a spruce. Moreover the beetles tend to hide in bark crevices as soon as they land. The larvae of this species feed subcortically and later they enter the sapwood where they build the pupal cells. Recently dead standing spruce trees are the preferred larval substrate. The depicted beetle was found on a dying Norway spruce (Picea abies) near Blatnica (NW Slovakia). Collected by M.Rejzek.