Species Hierarchy
Kingdom ANIMAL (ANIMALIA)
Phylum JOINTED LEGGED ANIMALS (ARTHROPODA)
Class INSECTS (INSECTA)
Order BEETLES (COLEOPTERA)
Family BEETLES - GROUND (CARABIDAE)
SubFamily BEETLES - GROUND ORIENTAL GIANT (COPTOLABRUS GROUP)
Common name:
Scentific name: DAMASTER BLAPTOIDES VIRIDIPENNIS

Origin: IWATE, JAPAN, 1964

Species Info:

This lifeform is found in Japan.

Coptolabrus, Acoptolabrus, and Damaster sub-genera are included in this group. These sub-genera really belong to the genus Carabus.

The Coptolabrus genus contains some of the largest and most beautiful beetles in the Carabini tribe of the Carabidae family. This genus is found in China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. There is considerable research continuing in this genus, and scientists are still discovering new species.

The following list though incomplete will give the novice a start in identifying the members of this group. It is arranged in the sequence of approximate size of the elytra bumps (pustules) with the smoothest species being placed first. This sequence is almost arbitrary, but will give some indication of the appearance of the various species.  Since many of the species have more than one color form, it is hoped that this list will have some value.

Coptolabrus fruhstorferi       Japan
Coptolabrus jankowksii         Korea
Coptolabrus formosus           China
Coptolabrus smaragdinus        Korea, east China, and west USSR
Coptolabrus elysii             China  (A smaller species)
Coptolabrus nankotaizanus      Taiwan (Equal Formosa)
Coptolabrus laffossei          China  (Many color forms)
Coptolabrus principalis        China
Coptolabrus augustus           China
Coptolabrus pustulifer         China


Coptolabrus gemmifer was noted on an old list, but is probably a synonym to C. augustus. References have been noted for the following species which are most likely new discoveries:          

Coptolabrus ishizukai, Coptolabrus gabrielischaeferi and Coptolabrus subformosus.

Ground Beetles, family Carabidae, are usually small beetles that live on the forest floor. They can run quite well as they generally have well-developed legs. Many Carabidae are carnivorous in that they eat other insects. The family is distributed worldwide.

The Carabus group of beetles contains some very beautiful kinds. The Coptolabrus group of China and the Chrysocarabus group of Europe are especially beautiful. The taxonomy in the Carabus group is very complicated as the group achieves its greatest development in various mountain areas, and each valley has its own color variations.

Beginning beetle scientists are initially drawn to the large beetles such as Goliathus, Dynastes, and Megasoma. The advanced student of exotic beetles will end up studying the Carabus group.

Beetles (Order Coleoptera) are a diverse group of insects found throughout the world. They usually can fly and typically have four wings. Two of the wings are hardened (elytra) and serve as a body cover to protect the flying wings and abdomen. Beetles begin their life as a larvae or grub that goes through a metamorphosis that turns this worm-like creature into an adult with six legs and four wings. There probably are over 500,000 species of beetles in the world. However, that number is only conjecture as the United States does not have a complete list of its known species.

The United States has relatively few exotic beetles. However, countries like Brazil, Mexico, Ghana, Zaire, Malaysia, and Peru have many beautiful beetles.  

Exotic beetles are such a fascination in Europe and Japan that they are collected much as coins are collected throughout the rest of  the world.

Insects (Class Insecta) are the most successful animals on Earth if success is measured by the number of species or the total number of living organisms. This class contains more than a million species, of which North America has approximately 100,000.

Insects have an exoskeleton. The body is divided into three parts. The foremost part, the head, usually bears two antennae. The middle part, the thorax, has six legs and usually four wings. The last part, the abdomen, is used for breathing and reproduction.

Although different taxonomists divide the insects differently, about thirty-five different orders are included in most of the systems.

The following abbreviated list identifies some common orders of the many different orders of insects discussed herein:

   Odonata:      Dragon and Damsel Flies
   Orthoptera:   Grasshoppers and Mantids
   Homoptera:    Cicadas and Misc. Hoppers
   Diptera:      Flies and Mosquitoes
   Hymenoptera:  Ants, Wasps, and Bees
   Lepidoptera:  Butterflies and Moths
   Coleoptera:   Beetles

Jointed Legged Animals (Phylum Arthropoda) make up the largest phylum. There are probably more than one million different species of arthropods known to science. It is also the most successful animal phylum in terms of the total number of living organisms.

Butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers, various insects, spiders, and crabs are well-known arthropods.

The phylum is usually broken into the following five main classes:

   Arachnida:      Spiders and Scorpions
   Crustacea:      Crabs and Crayfish
   Chilopoda:      Centipedes
   Diplopoda:      Millipedes
   Insecta:        Insects

There are several other "rare" classes in the arthropods that should be mentioned. A more formal list is as follows:

   Sub Phylum Chelicerata

     C. Arachnida:      Spiders and scorpions
     C. Pycnogonida:    Sea spiders (500 species)
     C. Merostomata:    Mostly fossil species

   Sub Phylum Mandibulata

     C. Crustacea:      Crabs and crayfish
      
   Myriapod Group

     C. Chilopoda:      Centipedes
     C. Diplopoda:      Millipedes
     C. Pauropoda:      Tiny millipede-like
     C. Symphyla:       Garden centipedes

   Insect Group

     C. Insecta:        Insects

The above list does not include some extinct classes of Arthropods such as the Trilobites.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

 

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