Chrysobothris tranquebarica

(Gmelin, 1790)

Australian Pine Borer, Mangrove Borer

Chrysobothris tranquebarica is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the Buprestidae, commonly known as the Australian pine borer or mangrove borer. The has been documented in the Caribbean Sea region and North America. As a member of the Chrysobothris, it shares the characteristic metallic coloration and wood-boring larval habits typical of this large and taxonomically challenging group.

Die exotischen Käfer in Wort und Bild (1908) (20726767219) by Heyne, Alexander;

Taschenberg, Otto, 1854-1922. Used under a No restrictions license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Chrysobothris tranquebarica: /ˌkɹɪsoʊˈboʊθɹɪs trænkwəˈbærɪkə/

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

Images

Distribution

Documented from the Caribbean Sea and North America. GBIF records indicate presence in Colombia without specific locality details.

Host Associations

Casuarina - larval 'Australian pine borer' suggests association with Casuarina (Australian pine), though this requires confirmation
mangrove - larval 'mangrove borer' suggests association with mangrove , though this requires confirmation

More Details

Taxonomic Note

The specific epithet 'tranquebarica' refers to Tranquebar (now Tharangambadi), a former Danish trading post on the Coromandel Coast of India. This historical naming suggests possible original description from material collected in that region, though current distribution records focus on the Caribbean and North America. The apparent disjunction between the etymology and current distribution may indicate either historical introduction, misidentification in early collections, or incomplete distributional knowledge.