Insects and Spiders - native

Golden Buprestid Beetle (Buprestis aurulenta) on Aug 14, 2022

Originally reported as Metallic Wood Borers (Family Buprestidae)

Submitter has sample

Description of specimen

One metallic green ash borer, with copper coloring on its sides and down the centerline of its back, flew into my face while I was lunching on my backyard deck. I was able to capture it.

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
Aug. 15, 2022, 1:24 a.m.

Resources

Golden Buprestid Beetle information from iNaturalist

Location

Backyard, which includes various trees, a couple of which are young ash trees.

Expert Reviewer

Tom Valente
Oregon Department of Agriculture

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