Agrilus walsinghami

Crotch, 1873

Agrilus walsinghami is a sexually dimorphic jewel beetle ( Buprestidae) found across western North America. It is among the most visually striking in its , with males exhibiting bronzy-brown and brassy coloration while females are uniformly blue to greenish-blue. are active during late summer and early fall, an unusual seasonality for wood-boring beetles in this region. The species is strongly associated with gray rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa), which is presumed to serve as its larval despite the absence of confirmed rearing records.

Agrilus walsinghami by no rights reserved, uploaded by Robbie Hannawacker. Used under a CC0 license.

Agrilus walsinghami by (c) Rebecca Ray, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Rebecca Ray. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Agrilus walsinghami: /ˈæɡrɪləs wɑːlˈsɪŋhəmiː/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Distinguished from by combination of , coloration patterns, and association. Males recognized by bronzy-brown /pronotum and brassy ; females by uniform blue-green coloration. Both sexes show distinctive white lateral pubescent patches. No other western Agrilus combines this color pattern with late-season activity on gray rabbitbrush.

Images

Appearance

Sexually dimorphic with pronounced color differences between sexes. Males: and pronotum bronzy brown with faint coppery reflections; brassy with slight purplish tints. Females: larger and more robust, uniformly blue to greenish blue above. Both sexes have underside strongly bronzy green with prominent white densely pubescent patches along lateral portions of and . Legs more or less coppery.

Habitat

Sagebrush and arid shrubland in western North America. encountered almost exclusively on gray rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa).

Distribution

Western North America from British Columbia south to Baja California and east to Colorado. Documented from Nevada, California, Utah, Colorado, and British Columbia.

Seasonality

activity from mid-July to mid-September, with peak activity in late summer and early fall. This represents an unusual late-season for wood-boring beetles in the western United States.

Host Associations

Ericameria nauseosa - presumed larval encountered almost exclusively on this plant; larval presumed but not confirmed through rearing records

Behavior

frequently encountered resting on terminal portions of gray rabbitbrush. Activity patterns tied to late summer blooming period of plant. Adults may be collected by beating branches over a sheet.

Ecological Role

Member of late-season in western North American shrubland . Presumed wood-borer in stems of gray rabbitbrush.

Human Relevance

Subject of interest to coleopterists due to striking appearance and unusual seasonality. Occasionally collected for scientific collections; one specimen reportedly sold for $16.38 on eBay. Not known to be of economic importance.

Similar Taxa

Other Agrilus speciesAgrilus walsinghami distinguished by combination of large size relative to many , strong , distinctive white lateral , late-season activity, and exclusive association with gray rabbitbrush

More Details

Discovery of sexual dimorphism

Remarkably, no author mentioned the pronounced of this until Fisher (1928) discussed it in his revision of the Agrilus in North America, despite the species having been described in 1873.

Photographic significance

The has been featured in innovative macrophotography attempts, including photographs with sunset backgrounds achieved by balancing flash illumination of the subject with ambient light from sun-obscured skies during wildfire smoke conditions.