Thank you for your report! The Golden Buprestid, Buprestis aurulenta, is a native member of the Metallic Wood-boring beetle family. They are not the invasive beetle you've heard of, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) which attacks and kills ash trees. Golden Buprestid beetles are larger and less slender than EAB. They are not tree killers. Their grubs live in dead conifers and are important to breaking down deadwood. They won't attack the timbers of your house. They sometimes emerge from stored firewood, though, and they are often attracted to lights.


There are a number of iridescent green look-alike beetles in Oregon that are not pests. I am attaching a link to the ODA EAB webpage with some photos of other Oregon insects that could be mistaken for EAB

https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/IPPM/SurveyTreatment/Documents/EABLookAlikes.pdf

Thanks for being on the lookout!

Tom Valente
Feb. 29, 2024, midnight