Insects and Spiders - native

Golden Buprestid Beetle (Buprestis aurulenta) on Jul 26, 2022

Submitter does not have a specimen

Description of specimen

A very iridescent green beetle flew and landed on me (and I instinctively squished it). About 3/4 inch. Photos of top, and underside.
May be the invasive one I’ve read about?
There were quite a few!

Commentary

Thank you for your report! This is not EAB. It's a native member of the Metallic Wood-boring beetle family, the Golden Buprestid, Buprestis aurulenta. These beetles are larger and less slender than EAB. They are not tree killers. Their grubs live in dead conifers.

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
July 26, 2022, 5:48 a.m.

Resources

Golden Buprestid Beetle information from iNaturalist

Location

In the Olallie Campground woods, on the McKenzie River

Expert Reviewer

Tom Valente
Oregon Department of Agriculture

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