Golden Buprestid Beetle (Buprestis aurulenta) on Jul 13, 2022
Submitter does not have a specimen
Description of specimen
The photo in the article where I found this link reminded me of the photo I'm attaching below. I can't be sure it's the same thing.
Commentary
Thank you for your report! This is a native, non-destructive species, the golden buprestid, Buprestis aurulenta. This insect feeds on a wide variety of conifers, unlike emerald ash borer, which feeds only on ash. The golden buprestid only attacks dying or recently dead trees. However, the grubs can survive for decades in untreated lumber cut from infested trees, sometimes emerging from houses many years after construction. Golden buprestids cannot reinfest lumber or houses. You can see more photos and a range map of golden buprestid beetles on iNaturalist, https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/215596-Buprestis-aurulenta. Emerald ash borers are about half the size of golden buprestids and a quarter as wide. There is a nice guide to look-alikes from ODA here: https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/IPPM/SurveyTreatment/Documents/EABLookAlikes.pdf
I'm not positive this is the same thing (see photo below) but this was on the pavement in the storage facility at the address above. No trees to speak of nearby
Expert Reviewer
Mrs. Lindsey Wise Oregon Biodiversity Information Center, inr.oregonstate.edu/orbic Oregon iMapInvasives Institute for Natural Resources Portland State University
Lindsey Wise
July 14, 2022, 6:13 a.m.