Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter

Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter

Calosoma frigidum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Shenandoah National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

6 Verified sightings at Shenandoah National Park From 2019 to 2026
27 In all 3 parks
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter

Calosoma frigidum, also known as the cold-country caterpillar hunter, is a species of ground beetle in the subfamily Carabinae. It was first described by William Kirby in 1837. Occurring throughout southern Canada and the United States, it is about 16mm to 27mm long and black, with rows of pits or dots along its elytra. These pits are an iridescent blue/green, and larger than the pits of many other Calosoma species. It can be found in wooded areas and is active at night, while hiding under debris by day. Increased soil temperature, such as that caused by forest fire, is known to cause adult C. frigidum beetles to leave their burrows. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter in Shenandoah National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 571st most-seen of the 723 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter in Shenandoah National Park?

May

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Shenandoah National Park the best place to see a Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter?

3rd of 3

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter sightings, Shenandoah National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 20%) and Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Canada, about 10%).

Where does the Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Cold-Country Caterpillar Hunter is recorded against all the insects logged in Shenandoah National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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