DICERA LURIDA

DICERA LURIDA

Dicera lurida
WOOD BORING BEETLES (Buprestidae)

This beetle is about ½ to 4/5 inches long. It is black but finely sculptured with gold flecks throughout its elytra. Its identity was confirmed by experts at Bugguide.net.

 

It breeds in a variety of hardwoods, especially Hickory. We expect it to be common at the Fontenelle Nature Centers. This one was photographed in Child’s Hollow.

 

This beetle is a member of the wood boring beetle family or jewel beetles, so named because of the jewel like colors. This species is one of the commonest jewel beetles throughout N. America. The beetles rapidly colonizes wind-thrown or cut trees and branches while the wood is still hard and strong. larva mine through a tree until the heartwood is completely riddled.

 

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