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Project Noah Nature School
Chrysobothris costifrons costifrons
A first for Project Noah and only the second time it's been documented in California, this gray beetle has a metallic sheen all over its elongated body. There is a spotted gray and black pattern on the elytra. The head is flat in the front. The abdomen is a brilliant green metallic color. AKA Jewel Beetle. The larvae of the beetle bore into wood and can cause damage in large numbers.
Oak woodland. On a bench under various Oak trees in my backyard. This species is though to have been introduced by purchased firewood from Arizona, where the beetle originates from. Luckily this is not considered a pest at this time.
The beetle appeared a couple days after we had to cut down 4 dead Oak trees on our property. This is probably why the beetle was active at this time of year. I relocated the beetle so it wouldn't get sat on and took a few pics before it flew away.
Spotted on Dec 13, 2016
Submitted on Dec 13, 2016
3 Comments
Thank you Doren!
This looks to be one of the Chrysobothris beetles, perhaps Chrysobothris femorata, which is a widely occurring species group with eleven described subspecies in the U.S.
See http://bugguide.net/node/view/194101
Very nice photographs. These have excellent detail and the variety of angles should be very helpful for an identification.