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| This pic is a little fuzzy |
No - I don't have the answer. I did a quick search but didn't come up with anything before my attention span gave way. I am interested. I'd love to read about this particular beetle after someone does the ID work for me. So my secret is out... I'm a lazy nature nut.
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| Notice the ridges in the elytra (hard forewings) |
Any aspiring (or actual) entomologists out there? If we don't come up with an ID within a week or so, I might submit the photos to What's That Bug?
The backdrop for these pictures is the fabric of a tent. For those that aren't familiar with the Clackamas River area, it's part of the Mt. Hood National Forest, southeast of Portland (map below). So conifer forest, near a river. Elevation about 1250 ft.
OK - bring on the IDs!
Update: See comments below for the discussion - I think we have an ID!
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Could it be a jewel beetle? They are fairly common in the Pacific Northwest. Check out this link and let me know what you think! http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2006/08/20/golden-buprestid-or-jewel-beetle/
ReplyDeleteWe've had a guess via Twitter, from FidalgoWeather (Washington based nature blog - Fidalgo Island Crossings). The guess was Cicadella viridi, but I don't think that's it. This beetle was flatter and shinier.
ReplyDeleteErin - You may be on to something there. Certainly similar in size and shape, but the color isn't exactly right. Mine was pure green (with a little iridescence) but the jewel beetles in your link have red margins around the wing covers. I can't tell for sure, but it looks like mine might have deeper, more closely spaced ridges in the covers, too. Maybe a relative? We're getting close, I think.
ReplyDeleteI did an image search for "golden buprestid" and the resulting photos showed a bit of variation from beetle to beetle. Your beetle definitely looks closely related! Perhaps something in the same genus?
ReplyDeleteI'm an entomologist and it's definitely a buprestid, though they're not a group I work with so I can't tell you which one specifically. As an alternative to What's That Bug, you could submit your photos to BugGuide.net. You're more likely to get an immediate answer there, quicker than you will on WTB, and there are some superb beetle identifiers on the site!
ReplyDeleteExcellent - thanks for the info, dragonflywoman!
ReplyDeleteLook like you nailed it after all, Erin - nice job! So I guess there are a variety of them, which makes sense. I'll take a look at BugGuide and maybe post it over there to see if they can tell us any more.
That was fun! I'll have to find some more unknowns to post - maybe start a weekly feature... "Figure it out Fridays"
Thanks for playing!
Posted it to BugGuide.net here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/505997
ReplyDeleteI'll update with any news.
From BugGuide.net:
ReplyDeleteBuprestid..
Metalic wood boring beetle, subgenus Cypriacis.
… Gary Griswold, 16 April, 2011 - 8:53am
Hoping we can still get it down to species...
Further response from Gary Griswold on BugGuide.net:
ReplyDeleteCould be Buprestis langii
Buprestis langii - I think that's right, based on this PDF about their Canadian distribution:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.checklist.org.br/getpdf?NGD039-09