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Photo#12623
dark metallic wood borer - Dicerca pugionata

dark metallic wood borer - Dicerca pugionata
London, Ontario, Canada
May 6, 2004
Size: 13 mm
Resting on a may-apple leaf in woods. Has pale spots on a dark background; a similar image is shown here and there are several more on the U. of Alberta site, beginning on this page.

Your Dicerca looks like a D.
Your Dicerca looks like a D. divaricata. Yes specimens in a species can vary to a certain point; size, slight color change and the presence of hairs. I id several hundred buprestid specimens a year and I rcieve help from Rick Westcott in Oregon. If you would like to discuss buprestids further my email is jkbasham@blomand.com or dynastes@hotmail.com.

 
pronotum shape
In comparing Dicerca divaricata with D. caudata, this U. of Alberta page says the pronotum of divaricata is widest in the middle (see image) but the pronotum on my specimen gets gradually wider toward the rear, similar to this photo.
Also, the elytra in U. of Alberta's specimen of divaricata have short black streaks on a gold background, whereas my specimen has pale spots on a black background.
Assuming that the U. of Alberta info is correct and their images are not mislabeled, I think my specimen must be some species other than divaricata.

 
D. pugionata
This looks like another example of Dicerca pugionata - size is right, elytral apices bidentate - not rounded or truncate [useful character], range [recorded from Ontario by Bright], etc.



Bright, Donald E. 1987. The metallic wood-boring beetles of Canada and Alaska (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 15. Agric. Canada Res. Br. Publ. 1810:1-335.

Great book if you can get - out of print

 
pugionata
Thanks, Phillip. I moved the image to the species page and added some info.

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