Callidium coriaceum is a rare montane/submontane species associated mainly with Norway spruce (Picea abies) in Central Europe. In N Slovak Republic the authors of this site have once observed the species flying to a dying spruce 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.

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

The living specimens were reared from larvae found in dead Norway spruce (Picea abies) in Kraví Hora environs (Novohradské Hory Mts., South Bohemia, Czechia) in winter 2020. The depicted mounted beetle was found on a dying Norway spruce (Picea abies) in Liptovská Porúbka (NE Slovakia).

Collected by P. Jelínek and M.Hoskovec