---
title: "Grand carabe iridescent"
description: "Calosoma scrutator — Insectes et araignées. Calosoma scrutator, commonly known as the fiery searcher and caterpillar hunter, is a species of ground beetle belonging to the genus Calosoma."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/fr/animal/fiery-searcher
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Grand carabe iridescent

> Calosoma scrutator — Insectes et araignées. Calosoma scrutator, commonly known as the fiery searcher and caterpillar hunter, is a species of ground beetle belonging to the genus Calosoma.

- Scientific name: *Calosoma scrutator*
- Category: `insects` (Insectes et araignées)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forêt)
- iNaturalist observations: 9583
- Wikidata: [Q4035780](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4035780)
- iNaturalist taxon: [118855](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/118855)

## Names

- en: Fiery Searcher
- es: Escarabajo come orugas
- fr: Grand carabe iridescent

## Countries with the most observations

US (7990), MX (172), CA (26), HN (12)

## Summary

Calosoma scrutator, commonly known as the fiery searcher and caterpillar hunter, is a species of ground beetle belonging to the genus Calosoma. This beetle can be as large as 35 millimetres (1.4 in) long, and is hence among the largest of the ground beetles found in North America. The distribution of this species is relatively widespread, and is common in North America. The adult beetle is known to excrete a foul-smelling oil when it is handled. The oil has been described as smelling similar to rotten milk or rancid olive oil.
It was originally described in Virginia by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. It is a predatory…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calosoma_scrutator

## Photo

![Grand carabe iridescent](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/fiery-searcher/medium.jpg)

Photo: Wendy A · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/268533052

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/fiery-searcher?lang=fr` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).