Insects and Spiders - native

Golden Buprestid Beetle (Buprestis aurulenta) on May 12, 2024

Originally reported as Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Submitter does not have a specimen

Description of specimen

quite beautiful. shiny green, red trim. No pics. didn't know what it was until reading recent article.

Commentary

Thank you for your report! I don't think you saw EAB, because of the "red trim". This was most likely 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 14, 2024, 2:09 a.m.