Wood-boring-beetle
Guides
Archodontes melanopus
Live-oak Root Borer
Archodontes melanopus is a large root-boring beetle in the family Cerambycidae, and the sole species in the genus Archodontes. Native to the southeastern United States and Central America, it bores into the roots of oaks and other hardwood trees. The species was originally described by Linnaeus in 1767 as Cerambyx melanopus. Adults are active during warmer months and are attracted to lights.
Arhopalus foveicollis
Pitted Longhorn Beetle
Arhopalus foveicollis is a longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae) described by Haldeman in 1847. It is widely distributed across boreal and montane regions of North America, with records from Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba) and presumably the northern United States. The species is associated with coniferous forests, particularly pine habitats. Like other members of the genus Arhopalus, it is a wood-boring beetle that develops in dead or dying conifer wood.
Asemum australe
Asemum australe is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1850. It is native to North America, with documented occurrences in the United States and Canada including Québec. The species has a brown, oval-shaped body. As a member of the genus Asemum, it belongs to a group of wood-boring beetles whose larvae develop in coniferous wood.
Asemum caseyi
Asemum caseyi is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by Linsley in 1957. The genus Asemum comprises conifer-associated wood-boring beetles with Holarctic distribution. Like congeners, this species likely develops in dead or dying conifer wood, with adults active during warmer months. The species has been recorded from western North America including British Columbia, California, and Mexico.
Asemum nitidum
Asemum nitidum is a species of longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae) described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1873. It is native to parts of North America, with distribution records from Canada (British Columbia) and the United States. As a member of the genus Asemum, it belongs to a group of wood-boring beetles that develop in coniferous trees. The species has been documented through 286 iNaturalist observations, indicating it is encountered with some regularity by naturalists, though detailed biological studies appear limited.
Atylostagma glabra
Atylostagma glabra is a longhorn beetle (family Cerambycidae) in the tribe Elaphidiini, described by Schaeffer in 1909. The species is distributed in Middle America and North America. It is currently accepted as a valid species by GBIF, though Catalogue of Life lists it as a synonym of Atylostagma polita. Like other members of the Elaphidiini, it likely shares the general characteristics of being a wood-boring beetle with larvae that develop in dead or dying wood.
Balcha indica
Balcha indica is a solitary ectoparasitoid wasp in the family Eupelmidae, native to Asia and accidentally introduced to North America. It attacks larvae, prepupae, and pupae of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), an invasive wood-boring beetle threatening ash trees. Under laboratory conditions, the species exhibits extended adult longevity (mean 59 days, maximum 117 days) and reproduces via thelytokous parthenogenesis. Development from egg to adult takes approximately 83 days at 25°C, suggesting one to two generations per year in temperate North American regions. The species has been recovered from field surveys in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ontario, Virginia, and West Virginia, where it functions as an adventitious biological control agent of this invasive pest.
Boloria andersoni
Agrilus andersoni is a jewel beetle species in the family Buprestidae, described by Henry Hespenheide in 2008 from specimens collected in Guerrero and Puebla, Mexico. It is one of two new species associated with mistletoe plants in the genus Phoradendron, representing an unusual host relationship within the enormous genus Agrilus. The species is closely related to A. turnbowi from Texas and A. howdenorum from Oaxaca, sharing distinctive purplish-red coloration and complex golden setal patterns on the elytra.
Brachys floccosus
Brachys floccosus is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, originally described by Mannerheim in 1837. The species occurs in Central America and North America. Records indicate it has been collected from oak woodland habitats in montane regions of southeastern Arizona, specifically from Quercus hypoleucoides (silverleaf oak).
Buprestis apricans
turpentine borer
Buprestis apricans, commonly known as the turpentine borer, is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. The species was described by Herbst in 1801. It occurs in the Caribbean and North America, where it develops in coniferous trees. Like other members of the genus Buprestis, adults display metallic coloration typical of jewel beetles.
Buprestis consularis
Buprestis consularis is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is found in North America, with records from the United States and Canada including Ontario and Québec. The species was first described by Gory in 1841. Adults have been observed on dead and dying Pinus edulis (Colorado pinyon pine) in pinyon/juniper/oak woodland habitat in northeastern New Mexico. The species has been documented as prey of the predatory wasp Cerceris fumipennis, which has facilitated its detection in areas where it was previously unrecorded.
Buprestis lyrata
pink-faced jewel beetle
Buprestis lyrata is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by Thomas L. Casey in 1909. It is found in the Nearctic region, primarily in western North America including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. Adults are known to frequent freshly dead conifers, particularly Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), where they can be found on trunks and branches. The species is part of the diverse genus Buprestis, which contains many colorful and sought-after jewel beetles among collectors.
Buprestis prospera
Buprestis prospera is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is native to North America and has been documented in pinyon-juniper woodland habitats. Adults have been found associated with dead and dying Pinus edulis (Colorado pinyon pine), suggesting a larval host relationship with this conifer species. The species was described by Casey in 1909.
Byrrhodes intermedius
Byrrhodes intermedius is a small beetle species in the family Ptinidae, first described by LeConte in 1878. It belongs to a genus of wood-boring beetles commonly known as deathwatch beetles or furniture beetles. The species has been recorded from eastern North America, with confirmed observations in Nova Scotia and Québec.
Callidiellum cupressi
cypress longhorn beetle
Callidiellum cupressi is a species of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by Van Dyke in 1923. It belongs to the tribe Callidiini, a group of wood-boring beetles. The specific epithet 'cupressi' suggests an association with cypress (Cupressaceae), though detailed biological information remains limited in available sources. The species is recorded from North America.
Callidium antennatum
Blackhorned Pine Borer
Callidium antennatum is a species of longhorned beetle (family Cerambycidae) described by Newman in 1838. It is commonly known as the Blackhorned Pine Borer. The species is native to North America and has been recorded from both Canada and the United States. Like other members of the genus Callidium, it is associated with coniferous trees, particularly pines.
Callidium sequoiarium
Callidium sequoiarium is a species of longhorned beetle (family Cerambycidae) described by Fisher in 1920. As a member of the genus Callidium, it belongs to a group of wood-boring beetles typically associated with coniferous trees. The species epithet "sequoiarium" suggests a potential association with sequoia or related conifers, though specific host records have not been documented in the available sources. The species is recognized as valid but appears to be rarely encountered or reported.
Callimoxys fuscipennis
Callimoxys fuscipennis is a species of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1861. It belongs to the tribe Stenopterini within the subfamily Cerambycinae. The species is known from North America, with records from Canada and the United States. As with many cerambycids, it is a wood-boring beetle, though specific biological details remain poorly documented in the literature.
Calloides lorquinii
Calloides lorquinii is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, tribe Clytini. It is native to western North America. The species is named after the French entomologist Pierre Lorquin, who collected extensively in California during the 19th century. Like other members of the genus Calloides, it is associated with woody habitats and is likely attracted to fermenting baits.
Calloides nobilis
Calloides nobilis is a longhorn beetle species in the family Cerambycidae, first described by Harris in 1837. The species is known to occur in North America, with records from the United States and Canada. A subspecies, Calloides nobilis mormonus, has been documented from fire-affected areas of the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona. The species is attracted to sweet red wine-baited traps, suggesting adult feeding behavior involving fermenting substrates.
Calymmaderus nitidus
Calymmaderus nitidus is a species of beetle in the family Ptinidae (formerly Anobiidae), first described by LeConte in 1865. It belongs to a genus of small wood-boring beetles commonly known as deathwatch beetles or furniture beetles. The species is known from North America with confirmed records from Canada, including Québec.
Carphobius
Carphobius is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, established by M.W. Blackman in 1943. The genus comprises at least three described species of crenulate bark beetles. These beetles are associated with woody plants and belong to the diverse weevil superfamily Curculionoidea.
Carphoborus bicornis
Carphoborus bicornis is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae, described by Wood in 1986. The genus Carphoborus comprises bark beetles associated with coniferous trees. This species is recorded from North America. Very little published information exists regarding its specific biology or ecology.
bark-beetleweevilconifer-associatedNorth-AmericascolytinaeCurculionidaeColeopterainsectbeetleforest-pestwood-boring-beetleScolytiniCarphoborusbicornisWood-19861986provisionally-acceptedacceptedexact-matchAnimaliaArthropodaInsectaCarphoborus-bicornistaxonomyclassificationconiferforestwood-boringpesteukaryotahexapodapolyphagacucujiformiacurculionoideaCarphoborus frontalis
Carphoborus frontalis is a species of crenulate bark beetle described by Wood in 1954. It belongs to the family Curculionidae, the largest family of beetles. The species is distributed in North America. As a bark beetle in the subfamily Scolytinae, it likely shares the general biology of related species in boring into wood and feeding on phloem, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Chalcophora angulicollis
western sculptured pine borer, sculptured pine borer
Chalcophora angulicollis is a large metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, commonly known as the western sculptured pine borer. It is one of the largest jewel beetles in western North America, measuring 20–33 mm in length. The species is strictly associated with pine trees (Pinus spp.), where larvae develop in dead or dying wood. Adults are active during daylight hours and are frequently observed running on or flying to recently fallen or injured pine trunks and branches. The species was historically confused with the eastern Chalcophora virginiensis but was reinstated as valid based on distinct morphological differences in mouthparts, male genitalia, and elytral margins.
Chalcophora fortis
Strong Jewel Beetle
Chalcophora fortis is a large jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, commonly known as the Strong Jewel Beetle. It is one of five North American species in the genus Chalcophora, a group of sculptured pine borers characterized by their metallic coloration and heavily sculptured bodies. The species occurs in eastern North America, where it is associated with pine forests. Like other members of the genus, its dramatic sculpturing and metallic sheen serve a cryptic function, helping it blend with the bark of dead or dying pine trees.
Chalcophora virginiensis
Sculptured Pine Borer
Chalcophora virginiensis, commonly known as the sculptured pine borer, is one of the largest jewel beetles in eastern North America, measuring well over an inch in length. Adults are characterized by their hyper-sculptured, shiny metallic coppery bodies that provide effective camouflage against the bark of dead or dying pine trees. The species is endemic to forested areas of the eastern United States and Canada, where it is strictly associated with pine hosts. Larvae develop within the wood of their host trees, while adults are active during daylight hours and rely on crypsis rather than chemical or physical defenses against predators.
Chrysobothris adelpha
Chrysobothris adelpha is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It belongs to the Chrysobothris femorata species-group, a complex of closely related species that were historically confused under the catch-all name C. femorata. The species is distributed across eastern North America and is primarily associated with hickory (Carya spp.), though it has also been reared from serviceberry (Amelanchier) and mesquite (Prosopis).
Chrysobothris bicolor
Chrysobothris bicolor is a jewel beetle species in the family Buprestidae, described by George Henry Horn in 1894. It belongs to the large and taxonomically challenging genus Chrysobothris, which contains numerous species groups characterized by subtle morphological differences. The species epithet "bicolor" likely refers to distinctive coloration patterns, though specific color details are not documented in the provided sources. As with other members of its genus, it presumably develops as larvae in dead or dying wood of host plants.
Chrysobothris bimarginicollis
Chrysobothris bimarginicollis is a species of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Schaeffer in 1905. It belongs to the large genus Chrysobothris, which contains numerous wood-boring species in North America. The species is part of a taxonomically challenging group where identification relies on subtle morphological characters. Like other members of its genus, it likely develops in dead or dying wood, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Chrysobothris breviloba
Chrysobothris breviloba is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by Fall in 1910. It is known from western North America, with records from Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. Like other members of the genus Chrysobothris, it is presumed to develop as a larva in dead or dying wood, though specific host associations for this species remain poorly documented.
Chrysobothris carinipennis
Keel-winged Jewel Beetle
Chrysobothris carinipennis is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by LeConte in 1878. It is found in western North America, with confirmed records from Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. Like other members of the genus Chrysobothris, it is associated with woody plants, though specific host associations for this species remain poorly documented compared to better-studied congeners.
Chrysobothris carmelita
Chrysobothris chalcophoroides
sculptured oak borer
Chrysobothris chalcophoroides, commonly known as the sculptured oak borer, is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. The species was described by Horn in 1886 and is distributed across North America. Like other members of its genus, it develops in oak wood, with adults active during warmer months. The species exhibits the characteristic metallic coloration and sculptured elytra typical of Chrysobothris.
Chrysobothris convexa
Chrysobothris convexa is a species of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Fall in 1907. As a member of the hyperdiverse genus Chrysobothris, it belongs to one of the most taxonomically challenging groups of North American beetles. The genus is characterized by cryptic coloration, alert behavior, and association with woody plants. Available information about this specific species is extremely limited, with only a single observation record documented in iNaturalist and no detailed biological studies published.
Chrysobothris costifrons
Chrysobothris costifrons is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by Waterhouse in 1887. It belongs to a large genus of jewel beetles whose larvae typically develop in woody plants. The species is distributed across Central America and North America, with three recognized subspecies. Adults are attracted to recently dead or stressed woody hosts.
Chrysobothris costifrons costifrons
A subspecies of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae. Larval morphology has been described from specimens in the H. E. Burke Collection. The species belongs to a genus of wood-boring beetles whose larvae develop in living or dead woody plants.
Chrysobothris culbersoniana
Chrysobothris culbersoniana is a jewel beetle species in the family Buprestidae, described by Knull in 1943. It belongs to the Chrysobothris femorata species group, a taxonomically challenging complex of wood-boring beetles that was revised by Wellso and Manley in 2007. The species is known from limited records in North America, with observations documented from Texas and New Mexico.
Chrysobothris cuprascens
A small to medium-sized metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, characterized by coppery or brassy metallic coloration. First described by LeConte in 1860, this species occurs in North America and has been documented in pinyon-juniper woodland habitats. Adults have been observed on recently fallen branches of Pinus edulis (Colorado pinyon pine), where they run rapidly along the wood surface. Like other members of the genus Chrysobothris, the larvae are wood-borers that develop in dead or dying coniferous hosts.
Chrysobothris fragariae
Chrysobothris fragariae is a species of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Fisher in 1930. It belongs to the genus Chrysobothris, one of the most diverse genera of North American buprestids. The species epithet "fragariae" suggests an association with Fragaria (strawberry), though this host relationship has not been confirmed in the available literature. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to be a wood-boring beetle with larvae developing in dead or dying woody plants.
Chrysobothris libonoti
Chrysobothris libonoti is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is found in North America. The species was described by Horn in 1886. Like other members of the genus Chrysobothris, it is associated with woody plants, though specific host associations for this species remain poorly documented compared to better-studied congeners.
Chrysobothris mescalero
Chrysobothris mescalero is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, described in 2007 by Wellso and Manley. It belongs to the taxonomically challenging Chrysobothris femorata species-group. The species is endemic to sand dune habitats in New Mexico and west Texas, where it develops exclusively in oak (Quercus) species. Adults are characterized by uniformly brown frons and clypeus in both sexes, and three distinct elytral costae with indistinct foveae.
Chrysobothris micromorpha
Chrysobothris micromorpha is a species of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Fall in 1907. It belongs to the large genus Chrysobothris, which contains numerous wood-boring species in North America. Like other members of this genus, it is likely associated with dead or dying woody plants, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented. The species is known from both North America and Middle America based on occurrence records.
Chrysobothris nixa
flatheaded cedar borer
Chrysobothris nixa, commonly known as the flatheaded cedar borer, is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is found in North America, with distribution records from British Columbia and Saskatchewan in Canada. The species was described by Horn in 1886 and is one of eleven Chrysobothris species whose larvae were described in a 1966 study of buprestid larvae from the H. E. Burke Collection.
Chrysobothris rossi
Chrysobothris rossi is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is distributed across Central America and North America. The species has been collected from mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), soapberry (Sapindus saponaria), and various acacia species (Vachellia constricta, Senegalia greggii). Adults are attracted to ethanol-baited traps and can be collected by beating dead or dying branches of host plants.
Chrysobothris rotundicollis
A metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, native to North America. The species name 'rotundicollis' refers to its rounded pronotum. Like other members of the genus, it likely develops in woody plants, though specific host associations remain poorly documented. The species is recognized from scattered records across Canada and the United States.
Chrysobothris rugosiceps
Chrysobothris rugosiceps is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by Melsheimer in 1845. It belongs to the taxonomically challenging C. femorata species group, which was revised in 2007 to include twelve species. The original type specimen is lost, and a neotype has been designated. Adults are active on dead oak branches and trunks during daylight hours.
Chrysobothris schistomorion
Chrysobothris schistomorion is a jewel beetle species in the family Buprestidae, described in 2001 by Westcott & Davidson. It belongs to the large genus Chrysobothris, which contains numerous North American species often associated with woody host plants. The specific epithet refers to its resemblance to schist (a type of metamorphic rock), likely alluding to coloration or surface texture. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to be a wood-boring beetle with larvae developing in dead or dying wood.
Chrysobothris serripes
Chrysobothris serripes is a species of jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Schaeffer in 1905. It belongs to the large genus Chrysobothris, which contains numerous wood-boring species associated with various host plants. The specific epithet "serripes" refers to the serrated or saw-like nature of the legs, though detailed biological information for this particular species appears limited in the available literature. As with many Chrysobothris species, it is presumed to develop in woody plant material, though specific host associations have not been documented in the sources consulted.
Chrysobothris sexsignata
Six-marked Jewel Beetle
Chrysobothris sexsignata is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, commonly known as the Six-marked Jewel Beetle. It is found in North America, with confirmed records from Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island) and the United States. The species is one of several Chrysobothris species that serve as prey for the specialist crabronid wasp Cerceris fumipennis.