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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Elateriformia » Buprestoidea » Metallic Wood-boring Beetles (Buprestidae) » Agrilinae » Agrilini » Agrilus » Soapberry Borer (Agrilus prionurus)

Species Agrilus prionurus - Soapberry Borer

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Metallic woodboring beetle? - Agrilus prionurus Agrilus prionurus Chevrolat - Agrilus prionurus - male Agrilus prionurus Chevrolat - Agrilus prionurus Soapberry Borer - Agrilus prionurus Soapberry Borer - Agrilus prionurus Soapberry Borer - Agrilus prionurus soapberry borer - Agrilus prionurus Agrilus prionurus Chevrolat - Agrilus prionurus - female
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Elateriformia)
Superfamily Buprestoidea
Family Buprestidae (Metallic Wood-boring Beetles)
Subfamily Agrilinae
Tribe Agrilini
Genus Agrilus
Species prionurus (Soapberry Borer)
Explanation of Names
Agrilus prionurus Chevrolat 1838
prionurus = 'saw-tailed' (refers to the dentate elytral tips)
Size
~½"(1)
Identification
markings distinctive; shiny black, with 4 small white spots on elytra
Range
native to Mexico & AZ(2), recently reported from eastern half of TX - Map (3)
Food
host: Western Soapberry (Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii) - Ranges from AZ to LA to KS / n. Mex. (US range)
Life Cycle
Female lays eggs just under the bark; larva feeds on cambium. A heavily infested tree may be completely girdled. Grown larvae bore into the wood to complete development; adult exits from a D-shaped exit hole.
Remarks
Infested trees can be easily recognized as the bark falls away, leaving the sapwood exposed. Bark chips may accumulate at the base of the tree. Infested tree is doomed; tree removal & mulching is recommended to destroy insects inside and prevent spreading.
earliest record in our area: TX 2003(4)
Print References
Billings R.F., Pase H.A. (2009) Soapberry borer infestations found in 33 counties in Texas. Full text
Wellso, S.G. and J.A. Jackman. 2006. A new species of Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) Reitter (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and new North American buprestid distributional and host records. The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 82(2): 262-268.
Internet References
Texas Entomology - Quinn 2012
Pest alert - Billings & Pase, 2008
Works Cited
1.Invasive insect database at texasinvasives.org
2.Agrilus sulcicollis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a new alien species in North America
Jendek E., Grebennikov V.V. 2009. Can. Entomol. 141: 236–245.
3.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
4.Exotic bark- and wood-boring Coleoptera in the United States: recent establishments and interceptions
Haack R.A. 2006. Can. J. For. Res. 36(2): 269–288.
Contributed by Brad Barnd on 27 June, 2007 - 8:11pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 11 December, 2019 - 11:01am

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