Golden Buprestid (Buprestis aurulenta)

Description:

About 1 inch in length. Found in late August on the southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, CanadaFamily characteristics + particular features - brilliant metallic green with red line along outer and inner margins of elytra; bronze colour below. Surface "sculpturing" of elytra characterized by wide spaces separated by narrow ridges. This species is the most damaging in its genus. Larvae have been known to take 30 years to complete their development in structural timbers. The emergence holes sometimes penetrate roofing materials which results in leakages. The Orpheum Theater in Vancouver was water damaged after "bargin priced" roofing timbers, cut from trees salvaged from the Taylor River fire on Vancouver Island, produced a large number of adult beetles which bored straight through the tar roof.The golden buprestid prefers Douglas fir, but will also attack several species of pine, spruce, and fir, and is occasionally found in western red cedar. Adults usually oviposit on bark of dead or dying trees. They are especially fond of trees which have lightning-struck, fire-scorched, or recently felled. Resinous wood is preferred. Larvae require 1-3 years to complete development. In buildings, egg to adult development may be prolonged to 30, 40, even 50 years.Many thanks to Larry Meade for the identification.