Report #5423 - Report: Metallic Wood Borer, Buprestis viridisuturalis (Buprestis viridisuturalis)

Metallic Wood Borer, Buprestis viridisuturalis (Buprestis viridisuturalis) on Jul 31, 2023

Originally reported as Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Submitter has sample

Description of specimen

About an inch and a half long. Bright , shiny emerald green. Brown stripe in middle of back. Really hard shell. Took some effort to crush.

Commentary

Thank you for your report! This is not EAB. It's a native member of the Metallic Wood-boring beetle family, Buprestis viridisuturalis. 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. 1, 2023, 2:12 a.m.

Metallic Wood Borer, Buprestis viridisuturalis (Buprestis viridisuturalis) on Jul 31, 2023

Description of specimen

Commentary

Location

Expert Reviewer