Caterpillar-hunter vs Lion d'Afrique

Calosoma inquisitor compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

• Caterpillar-hunter is Near Threatened while Lion d'Afrique is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Caterpillar-hunter	Lion d'Afrique
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum	Arthropoda (arthropodes)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (insecte)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Carnivora (carnivores)
Family	Carabidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Calosoma	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Calosoma inquisitor	Panthera leo

Evolutionary Relationship

Caterpillar-hunter and Lion d'Afrique share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (animal)

Conservation Status

Caterpillar-hunter

NT — Near Threatened

Lion d'Afrique

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Caterpillar-hunter	Lion d'Afrique
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Caterpillar-hunter

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Lion d'Afrique

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Caterpillar-hunter

The Caterpillar-hunter (Calosoma inquisitor) is a species in the genus Calosoma. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Lion d'Afrique

The largest wild cat in Africa, lions reach up to 250 kg and are the only social felids, living in prides across sub-Saharan savannas and grasslands. Males are distinguished by their iconic manes. As apex predators, they regulate herbivore populations and maintain ecosystem balance. Listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.