Insects and Spiders - native

Western Cedar Borer (Trachykele blondeli) on Aug 5, 2025

Submitter has sample

Description of specimen

appears to be a fully intact emerald ash borer. Its colorful wings caught my eye in the yard on some stones and I kept it to show my kids. After seeing the article on Koin.com regarding the invasive species, I looked it up to confirm.

Commentary

Thank you for your report! This is not EAB. It's a native member of the Metallic Wood-boring beetle family, the Western cedar borer, Trachykele blondeli. These beetles are larger and less slender than EAB. They are not tree killers.

There are a number of iridescent green look-alike beetles in Oregon that are not pests. I am attaching a link to the ODF EAB webpage with some photos of other Oregon insects that could be mistaken for EAB

https://oregon-eab-geo.hub.arcgis.com/pages/identify

Thanks for being on the lookout!

Tom Valente
Aug. 6, 2025, 1:22 a.m.

Resources

Western Cedar Borer information on iNaturalist and a guide to wood boring beetles in Oregon from the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Location

Dead emerald ash borer found in back yard near fire pit.

Expert Reviewer

Tom Valente
Oregon Department of Agriculture

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