Callidium (Callidium) violaceum (Linnaeus, 1758)

Subfamilia: CERAMBYCINAE  /  Tribus: CALLIDIINI
Callidium violaceum
[Photo © Kirill V. Makarov, click on the picture for 4K resolution]

Callidium violaceum is a common Euroasian species, prevalent in coniferous woodlands, hedgerows and sites with man-made unpeeled coniferous wood (roof frames, wooden fences and firewood). Usual development under the bark of dead conifers, where the larvae bore a typical wide flat galleries. Before the pupation, larva bore into the wood the hook-shape pupal cell. In the absence of fresh wood, females lay their eggs in the same material for several years, until the wood is almost completely consumed and destroyed (the wood then resembles damage from Hylotrupes bajulus). Life-cycle under normal forest conditions one year, when attacking dry wood (e.g. roof frames, wooden boards) as well as 3 years or even more (but usually reported life-cycle is 2 years). Overwintering as larva, pupation in spring, adults occur from early May to July. Rather a nocturnal species, flying occasionally during the daylight. Adults can be found on logs, fallen/dying conifers and also on coniferous firewood or constructions/objects made from unpeeled wood [❖].

Body length:8 - 16 mm
Life cycle:1-2 years
Adults in:May - August
Host plant:polyphagous in conifers (Pinus, Picea, Larix, Abies)
Distribution:Europe, Russia, China, Japan, Mongolia, Caucasus, Transcaucasia


The mounted specimens were collected: ♂K on the lower reaches of the Saratovka (Саратовка) river (N44°15′46″ E146°06′13″; Kunashir/Кунаши́р island, Kuril Islands, Yuzhno-Kurilsky district, Sakhalin Oblast, Far Eastern Federal District, Russia) on July 10-16, 2014; ♂P in the Kedrovyy (Кедровый) creek environs (N43°05′53″ E131°33′35″; Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve, Khasansky district, Primorsky Krai, Far Eastern Federal District, Russia) on June 5, 2019.

The depicted living beetle was reared from larva found in Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area (Central Bohemia, Czechia) in spring 2022.

Collected by Yu.Sudnikov/L.Sudnikova, Kirill V. Makarov and Miroslav Polcar


[❖]
Sláma M.E.F.:
Tesaříkovití – Cerambycidae České republiky a Slovenské republiky / Cerambycidae of the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.
Milan Sláma private printing, Krhanice, 383pp [pages 136-137], 1998 [ISBN: 80-238-2627-1].
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Callidium violaceum
Callidium violaceum[Photo © Milan Lovětínský]
Callidium violaceum
Callidium violaceum
Callidium violaceum[Photo © Milan Lovětínský]
Callidium violaceum
Callidium violaceum[Photo © Milan Lovětínský]
Callidium violaceum
Callidium violaceum ♂♀ [Photo © Milan Lovětínský]
Callidium violaceum
Callidium violaceum ♂♀ [Photo © Milan Lovětínský]


 
SubfamiliaCerambycinae Latreille, 1802
TribusCallidiini Mulsant, 1839
GenusCallidium Fabricius, 1775
SubgenusCallidium Fabricius, 1775
SpeciesCallidium (Callidium) violaceum (Linnaeus, 1758)