Insects and Spiders - native

Golden Buprestid Beetle (Buprestis aurulenta) on Jun 5, 2023

Originally reported as Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Submitter has sample

Description of specimen

A winged, emerald green insect with a bronze underside and bronze highlights at the inside edges of the wings. Measures 1.5 cm long and 0.6 cm wide (with wings folded in). It has 6 legs.

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
June 6, 2023, 1:07 a.m.

Resources

Golden Buprestid Beetle information from iNaturalist

Location

It was found in my backyard at 2524 35th St, Springfield , OR floating in one of my dogs’ water dishes. We do have a very young Golden Ash tree in the backyard. However, this tree was treated with Bayer BioAdvanced tree and shrub insecticide in the Fall.

Expert Reviewer

Tom Valente
Oregon Department of Agriculture

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