Insects and Spiders - native

Golden Buprestid Beetle (Buprestis aurulenta) on Jun 20, 2024

Originally reported as Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Submitter has sample

Description of specimen

See pic below. I caught him with a piece of duct tape.

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 21, 2024, 7:27 a.m.

Resources

Golden Buprestid Beetle information from iNaturalist

Location

I have a small chile pepper farm north of Coburg, about 1.2 miles east of the Willamette River downstream of the McKenzie River confluence. Moving pipe in an open field, an emerald ash borer landed on my atv windshield. We are surrounded by wheat and filberts. Lots of small patches of tightly planted Douglas-fir trees, about 40-50 years old adjacent to the property.

Go north on Coburg Road to MP12, turn west on Crossroads Lane West. We are 1/2 mile down on the right after the big red barn.

Expert Reviewer

Tom Valente
Oregon Department of Agriculture

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