Buprestis aurulenta | |
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Adult | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Family: | Buprestidae |
Genus: | Buprestis |
Species: | B. aurulenta
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Binomial name | |
Buprestis aurulenta Linnaeus, 1767
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Buprestis aurulenta, commonly known as the golden jewel beetle[1] or golden buprestid, is a species of beetle in the genus Buprestis.[2]
The larvae of Buprestis aurulenta live inside a variety of coniferous trees and can survive for long periods in dry wood.[3] The adult beetle is an iridescent green, with shining orange trim all around the wing covers.[1]
The beetles are found in the Pacific Northwest as far north as southern British Columbia and southward through the Rocky Mountains to Mexico.[4] They are rare in Alberta, and specimens have been collected in Manitoba.[4]
On May 27, 1983, a golden jewel beetle emerged from a staircase in Essex, UK, after at least 47 years as a larva.[5]