Metallic Wood'boring Beetles-Buprestidae

The metallic wood-boring beetles resemble the click beetles in their torpedo-like shape. Lacking a flexible joint, however, they can-not perform the somersaulting jump of the click beetle. Also, most species of the Buprestidae are brilliantly colored-usually a lustrous metallic green, blue, black, or copper-whereas click beetles tend to be drab.

The Buprestidae are found primarily in tropical forests where they sometimes cause serious damage to trees and shrubs. The females lay their eggs in cracks or crevices in the bark of trees. The emerging larvae tunnel under the bark or actually bore into the wood. The adults favor warm sunshine, and are therefore usually found in the tops of trees where they can best catch the rays of the hot tropical sun.

In the United States and Canada, blackberries, raspberries, and other shrubs are attacked by larvae of various species of Agrilus. Fruit trees often are seriously damaged by the larvae of Chrysobothris femorata-the flatheaded apple tree borers. Other species make galls in trees.