Insects and Spiders - native

Golden Buprestid Beetle (Buprestis aurulenta) on May 19, 2023

Originally reported as Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Submitter does not have a specimen

Description of specimen

Emerald ash borer, didn’t know what it was and it flew away

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
May 19, 2023, 9:06 a.m.