Poecilonota fraseri

Chamberlin, 1922

Poecilonota fraseri is a jewel beetle ( Buprestidae) described by Chamberlin in 1922. The belongs to the Poecilonota, a group of wood-boring beetles whose larvae are primarily associated with plants in the family Salicaceae, particularly poplars (Populus) and willows (Salix). The specific epithet 'fraseri' likely honors a person or geographic feature, though the exact etymology is not documented in available sources. The species is recorded from British Columbia, Canada, placing it in the .

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Poecilonota fraseri: //ˌpiːsɪloʊˈnoʊtə ˈfreɪzəri//

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Identification

Within the Poecilonota, are distinguished by subtle morphological features including pronotal shape, elytral coloration, and leg coloration. Poecilonota fraseri would be distinguished from the more commonly collected eastern species P. cyanipes by geographic range and potentially by differences in pronotal angulation and elytral apex coloration. Definitive identification to species level typically requires examination of male genitalia or detailed comparison with .

Distribution

Recorded from British Columbia, Canada (). The full extent of its range within western North America is not well documented in available sources.

Host Associations

Populus - larval Inferred from -level association; all Poecilonota are associated with Salicaceae
Salix - larval Inferred from -level association; all Poecilonota are associated with Salicaceae

Similar Taxa

Poecilonota cyanipesMost commonly collected eastern ; distinguished by coppery color, blue feet (cyanipes = 'blue feet'), and non-angulate pronotal sides
Poecilonota thureuraMuch rarer eastern with elongate, distinctly reddish elytral apices
Poecilonota ferreaEastern distinguished from P. cyanipes by angulate pronotal sides

More Details

Genus-level biology

The Poecilonota is characterized by larvae that bore into dead or dying branches of Salicaceae. Several have been documented using galleries made by other wood-boring beetles, including Saperda concolor in poplar and Agrilus criddlei in willow.

Taxonomic note

The epithet 'fraseri' should not be confused with the Fraser fir (Abies fraseri), a conifer species unrelated to this 's . The beetle's name predates or is independent of the tree's common usage.