Jewel Beetle Spring

As I write this, Leavenworth, Kansas, USA, is under an (checks notes) “extreme heat warning,” expected to last for another two days at least. It has been an excessively hot summer, and I am recounting memories from spring more than I am making new discoveries. One thing that stands out was the diversity of jewel beetles, family Buprestidae, that I found during the month of May this year.

Blue Spotwood Borer, Agrilus acutipennis

Jewel beetles are also known as metallic woodborers for their often brilliant, iridescent colors; and called flathead borers for the flattened larval stage. The adult beetles are frequently alert, dashing or flying away at the first hint of potential danger, making them a challenge to photograph. Others are exceptionally cryptic, relying on camouflage and stillness to avoid detection in the first place. Some species exhibit all of these characteristics and behaviors.

Emerald Ash Borer from May 30, 2021, Leavenworth, Kansas.

Yes, some species can be pests, namely the Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus planipennis, but that is a species native to east Asia. It is extremely problematic where it has been introduced. Most jewel beetle species are kept in check by parasitoid wasps, predatory beetles, and other natural controls.

Unidentified Agrilus sp. from Weston Bend State Park, Missouri.

On May 4, Heidi and I went across the river to Weston Bend State Park in Missouri, one of our favorite haunts during spring bird migration. It turned out to be pretty good for insects, too, including some jewel beetles. I spotted one of the many species of the genus Agrilus that can be found in our neck of the woods. These are small, usually well under ten millimeters, very narrow and elongate, and more often than not have muted colors. They are most often seen on foliage in sunny spots in the forest understory, or along forest edges.

Texania campestris, Weston Bend State Park, Missouri.

Heidi, while taking pictures of moss or mushrooms on a stump, suddenly exclaimed that she saw a huge buprestid. Indeed, she found a big specimen of the Hardwood Heartwood Buprestid, Texania campestris. It is very likely the largest species of jewel beetle in our immediate area, ranging from 20-30 millimeters. It can be confused with the pine-boring genus Chalcophora that is found elsewhere in Missouri.

Texania campestris

T. campestris occurs east of the Great Plains, but is more common in the southern U.S. than elsewhere. Known host plants for the larvae include American Beech, American Sycamore, maples, and Black Willow.

Texania campestris

Closer to home, I visited Havens Park here in Leavenworth, on May 13. It is the closest thing to a “wild” park within walking distance. It is a hilly park, at the top of which is something of a plateau. There, at the summit, more or less, is a degraded glade habitat, more xeric than the surrounding forest, dominated by Eastern Redcedar, and some of the hardier oaks.

Blue Spotwood Borer, Leavenworth, Kansas.

I found a handful of jewel beetles flying around, and landing on, some oak saplings in one sunny spot. They turned out to be the Blue Spotwood Borer, Agrilus acutipennis, infrequently to rarely collected, according to one recent source. This is a spectacular species for the genus, at 7-10 millimeters in length, and vivid metallic blue with white scales highlighting the edges of the pronotum (top of thorax), and the sides and venter of the abdomen.

Blue Spotwood Borer

The Blue Spotwood Borer is found east of the Great Plains, well into Canada. Larvae are known to bore in Eastern White Oak, and Overcup Oak, but the adult beetles alight on all kinds of other oaks, hickories, and walnut.

Brachys ovatus, Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

In contrast to that showy species, I also noticed a Brachys ovatus, doing its best impression of a dried-up leaf edge. At only 4-7 millimeters, it is easily overlooked despite how relatively common it is, throughout eastern North America. Oddly, males of this species are rarely seen, and it may reproduce by parthenogenesis. Larvae bore in Northern Red Oak.

Common Hackberry Agrilus, Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

I also found an unusually lethargic Common Hackberry Agrilus, Agrilus lecontei, also on an oak leaf. I thought it might even be dead, a victim of a robber fly or other predator. I collected it into a vial, and by the time I got home it was apparent it was very much alive.

Common Hackberry Agrilus alive and well!

This is another small (4-7 mm) species that is supposedly uncommon, despite its widespread distribution east of the Great Plains.

Redbud Borer, Leavenworth, Kansas.

We have several Eastern Redbud trees “volunteering” in our yards, so it was not surprising to discover a Redbud Borer, Ptosima gibbicollis, on one of them on May 18.These little beetles are only 4-7 millimeters, but black with bright yellow markings, so they are easy to see.

Redbud Borer

On May 20, I was surprised and delighted to spot a Two-lined Chestnut Borer, Agrilus bilineatus, on a leaf near our front steps.

Two-lined Chestnut Borer, Leavenworth, Kansas.

Despite the name, this beetle uses a variety of oak species as host trees. It is a widespread and common species east of the Great Plains, but this is the first time I have seen one. It is 4-10 millimeters long.

Two-lined Chestnut Borer

I walk our neighborhood regularly, weather permitting, but on May 22 I took only my phone with me. Naturally, I found a lovely specimen of Anthaxia cyanella on a leaf in a hedge adjacent to an open field.

Anthaxia cyanella, Leavenworth, Kansas.

This brilliant blue beetle is only 4-5 millimeters long, and is apparently infrequently encountered. Larvae are known to bore in Eastern Redbud, Honeylocust, Downy Serviceberry, and River Birch. Adult Anthaxia species in general are usually seen on flowers, especially composites.

Beech Borer, Leavenworth, Kansas.

On May 26, once again with only my phone at hand, I noticed a Beech Borer, Agrilus obsoletoguttatus, in the little butterfly garden along one exterior wall of our local library.

Beech Borer from blacklighting in Leavenworth on June 10, 2021.

This beetle, 4-8 millimeters in length, is quite common east of the Great Plains. Larval host trees include Dwarf Chinkapin Oak, Northern Red Oak, Ohio Buckeye, Eastern Hophornbeam, and Honeylocust, among others.

Heidi and I hiked the VA Trails, another mostly wild park along the Missouri River on the Kansas side here in Leavenworth, on May 27. I didn’t see any jewel beetles until we came back to the parking lot and I noticed a large, recently-downed limb of an oak tree about fifty yards away.

Chrysobothris sp., VA Trails, Leavenworth, Kansas.

Storm damage provides woodboring beetles of all sorts with fresh resources that they quickly locate and oviposit into. Among the more reliable arrivals will be jewel beetles in the genus Chrysobothris. The bad news is that they all look very similar and are extremely challenging to identify.

Sure enough, I found several of these cryptic gems running over the bark of the tree limb. The Chrysobothris femorata species complex is probably what this one falls under. The species is named the Flatheaded Appletree Borer, but there is a wide range of deciduous trees used as hosts. These are probably opportunistic generalists that take advantage of storm damage and logging operations. Chrysobothris are midsize jewel beetles, ranging from 7-16 millimeters in this particular instance.

Chrysobothris sp. Males thump their butts on the log to get the attention of females.

Jewel beetles can be found during most of the warmer months, but spring, even early spring, is perhaps the best time to be looking for them. They are well worth pursuing, and you can help add to our collective scientific knowledge by sharing your observations on iNaturalist, Bugguide, and elsewhere. Happy Hunting!

OK, BYE-E-E-E!

Sources: Paiero, Sten M., et al. 2012. Field Guide to the Jewel Beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) of Northeastern North America. Canadian Food Inspection Agency. 411 pp.
Solomon, J.D. 1995. Guide to Insect Borers of North American Broadleaf Trees and Shrubs. Agriculture Handbook 706. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 735 pp.

Moth Week 2026 by Phone

I am so far behind in uploading camera photos to my computer and external hard drives that I literally “phoned it in” for National Moth Week, July 18-26. The photos in this post were taken with my iPhone 14. I promise that eventually I will have camera photos added to most of my observations posted on iNaturalist.

Our set-up at Atchison State Fishing Lake.

Officially, according to the current status on iNat for the Moth Week project in Kansas, I finished with a little over 90 species of moths in 234 observations. That was better than I expected. June is typically a more productive month for moth diversity here in northeast Kansas, USA. I am also not very proficient in identifying moths. I must thank the very knowledgeable and generous experts on iNaturalist for helping me out.

Suzuki's Promalactis Moth

Linden Prominent.

I began the week by putting out our blacklight in the front yard, near the giant Pin Oak tree that is probably responsible for feeding most of our insect diversity, both literally and figuratively. The weather the entire week was mostly hot, and vastly more humid than we usually experience here, so that was in our favor.

White-lined Sphinx from the back yard.

Two days later, on July 20, I switched to the back yard. We now have an outlet on the exterior of our detached garage, so I also plugged in a bright white light. We usually use a lightweight Jackery generator to run both the blacklight and a terribly dim LED white floodlight. The brighter light with the traditional bulb drains the generator in less than a couple of hours, compared to the LED. I welcome suggestions for a brighter white light that will run longer through the Jackery.

Heidi spotted this Curved-ribbon moth, Dinumma deponens on the door to the garage. This species is native to Asia.

It is surprising how different the results can be between our two yards. The backyard includes overhanging branches of a Silver Maple in the neighbor’s yard, plus a strip of mostly native herbaceous plants like White Snakeroot, goldenrod, Coreopsis, and coneflower, some of which Heidi planted, some of which is volunteering.

Maple Looper moth.

We also have volunteer Eastern Redbud, Eastern Black Walnut, hackberry, and young Pin Oaks planted by the resident squirrels. Our backyard “lawn” features sedges, plantain, LOTS of violets (the ornamental variety), clover, wood sorrel, and other non-native species.

Walnut Catoptilia moth.

Heidi decided we should try blacklighting out of town, at the Atchison State Fishing Lake in Atchison County, Kansas, so on July 21, we gave it a try. As expected, we were initially inundated with midges from the nearby lake. Caddisflies and aquatic beetles also showed up in large numbers. I think I will wear a mask next time we are anywhere near water, to avoid inhaling the smaller insects.

Heidi found this freshly-emerged Honey Locust Moth on the ground, then put it on a tree trunk where the insect fully inflated its wings.

While we were waiting for things to simmer down at the lights, we looked around the forest edges, and managed to find a few moths that way, too, along with the odd beetle, spider, or other nocturnal creature.

A Crocus Geometer moth, species unknown, Atchison State Fishing Lake.

We did not get back home until nearly two o’clock the next morning, but it was well worth the trip, and we will probably try again in the future. There was only one tent in the campground, and only two other vehicles came along. No one bothered us, though it helped that we were there on a weekday and not a weekend.

Hagen's Sphinx really does have this lovely mossy green tinge to it.

The night of July 24, I decided to be lazy and merely turn on the front porch light. Again, it is surprising what will come to the porch light versus the blacklight. Then again, at the porch light there are usually fewer numbers of insects, and I can concentrate on individual specimens.

A very shiny micro moth, Homosetia argentinotella, at the front porch light.

This is where I often find unique “micro” moths. Indeed, I added at least one new one to our home list of fauna and flora. I encourage everyone who participates in National Moth Week, or who routinely blacklights for insects, to pay special attention to micros. You could easily document something new to your county, state, or even the country.

A male White-marked Tussock Moth on the side of our house during the day.

Saturday evening, July 25, after a wonderful dinner at a local Italian restaurant, I walked through downtown Leavenworth and discovered several moths that were still present on storefronts, having been attracted to lights the night before.

This Maple Zale moth is not so well camouflaged on a windowsill in downtown Leavenworth.

I was secretly hoping to find a Black Witch in one of the recessed alcoves, but no luck. There have been records of that giant subtropical moth in the Kansas City area, but not yet this year.

Virginia Creeper Sphinx from downtown Leavenworth.

From downtown, I walked up to my in-laws’ home and set up the blacklight in their back yard, something we hadn’t done in years. It was a near total bust. We were overwhelmed by caddisflies, literally thousands of them.

Spotted Phosphila Moth.

Ironically, away from the light I found a nice specimen of the Spotted Phosphila Moth, Phosphila miselioides. That was the highlight of the night, and we packed it in early.

An unidentified plume moth by our front porch during the day.

We ended the week on July 26 by setting up the blacklight in the front yard again, and shining the bright white light onto a sheet of foamcore in the back yard (we need another sheet). Naturally, some of the nicer moths I was only able to get photos of just after midnight. I may cheat a little and backdate a camera photo or two for moths that I know I saw prior to the closing bell. That’s allowed, right?

Yellow-winged Oak Leafroller moth at front yard blacklight.

I swear I saw this Painted Lichen Moth flying behind the sheet before midnight. Honest!

I hope you had success in your own Moth Week adventures, or that you will consider participating in future years. It is truly wonderful, fascinating, and sometimes challenging experience. It is even better with a small party of other excited people.

City Nature Challenge 2026 Recap: Insects

My anticipation for the annual City Nature Challenge usually begins with great anxiety around the weather, and ends with nice surprises and unexpected species. This year was no different. I have the luxury of time, and knowledge, to make the most of the event regardless.

A male fire-colored beetle, Neopyrochroa femoralis, at our backyard blacklight, Leavenworth, Kansas.

A week prior, the forecast was looking like a nearly complete washout, with high chances of rain, if not storms. It turned out that the few inclement periods happened mostly in the overnight hours. It was still windy, or at least gusty, most of the time, with some hide-and-seek sun, too.

Eastern Tailed-blue butterfly in Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

More angst surrounded the changes we experienced at some of the parks we frequent. Our local “wild” park, Havens Park in Leavenworth, Kansas, USA, is installing a frisbee golf course, and has cleared patches of forest in the process. Meanwhile, in Wyandotte County Lake Park to the southwest, we noticed substantially clearing of vegetation around one of our favorite sites, a backwater pond. If they were going after invasive honeysuckle, great, but it appeared that it was that particular plant that was rebounding after the cutting and scraping.

The male Orange Spur Fly, Teuchocnemis bacuntius, waving hello. Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

Despite the setbacks, I managed to find some interesting insects. Chief among them was a unique syrphid fly, the Orange Spur Fly, Teuchocnemis bacuntius, that I spied at the edge of the forest near the front of Havens Park. This is a fairly large fly, named for the spur on the hind tibia of the male. Little is known about its life history, and mine is the only Kansas record for both iNaturalist and Bugguide, online.

A male Goatweed Leafwing, defending territory in Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

A male Harvester on the lookout for passing females. Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

We have had a warm, early spring, and many species had come and gone by the time the City Nature Challenge began. It was difficult to find some butterflies, for example, that peaked earlier in April. I still managed to spot two that I was hoping for: The Goatweed Leafwing, and the Harvester.

Hayhurst's Scallopwing skipper, Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

Duskywing skippers were so faded and tattered that identification was nearly impossible, but I was delighted to see a perfect specimen of a Hayhurst’s Scallopwing.

A male Common Baskettail dragonfly, Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

A male Springtime Darner dragonfly, Wyandotte County Lake Park, Kansas.

A male Blue Corporal dragonfly, Wyandotte County Lake Park, Kansas.

Other charismatic “bugs” included dragonflies, and I was fortunate to see a few of them perch. Common Baskettail is typical for this time period, as is the Springtime Darner, and Blue Corporal. Variegated Meadowhawk can be seen almost year round.

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle on a trail in Wyandotte County Lake Park, Kansas.

Beetles were out both day and night. Six-spotted Tiger Beetle is always a delight, and hard to miss with its bright green color. We even found a pair of mating Spring Treetop Flasher fireflies, over at Weston Bend State Park in Missouri.

Spring Treetop Flasher fireflies at Weston Bend State Park, Missouri.

Also at Weston Bend, I noticed what I thought at first was a bumble bee or carpenter bee, but it was flying a little slower, and silently. It was an American Carrion Beetle! I managed to knock it down, and brought it home for a photo shoot, before releasing it in our yard (I had one in our yard a couple years ago).

Studio portrait of American Carrion Beetle from Weston Bend State Park, Missouri.

Among the new species we recorded for our home property was a checkered beetle on the side of our house: Madoniella dislocata. It preys on small wood-boring beetles, so maybe it flew over from the logs and brush pile in the back yard.

Checkered beetle, Madoniella dislocata, at our Leavenworth, Kansas home.

I did blacklighting twice. The first night in the front yard, where we have a big old Pin Oak tree, was probably too cold and clear, and barely anything flew in.

This Isabella Tiger Moth, adult of the familiar "woollybear" caterpillar, was one of the few insects to come to our front yard blacklight on April 24, in Leavenworth, Kansas.

The next night, in the back yard, was the much more successful, the weather being warmer.

Faint-spotted Palthis moth, Palthis asopialis, at the backyard blacklight, Leavenworth, Kansas.

A Two-spotted Diaperis beetle, Diaperis maculata, at the backyard blacklight, Leavenworth, Kansas.

The nocturnal insect crowd included many kinds of beetles, flies, true bugs, moths, and wasps. The diversity was greater than the quantity of any one taxon. That will change soon, as caddisflies and rove beetles assert their dominance later, often overwhelming the sheet.

A stink bug, genus Banasa, at the backyard blacklight, Leavenworth, Kansas.

The largest moth visitor we had at the backyard blacklight was this American Dagger, Acronicta americana.

Bees were not as abundant as I was expecting, but several species had mostly come and gone already, especially cellophane bees (aka “polyester bees,” genus Colletes). The early mason bees, genus Osmia, were mostly finished, too.

A mason bee, genus Osmia, investigates some damp soil as potential material for her nest. Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

Kleptoparasitic bees, namely Nomada and Sphecodes, were still evident. They make their living in the larval stage feeding in the nests of other solitary bees.

A "blood bee," genus Sphecodes, from Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

Wasp diversity was quite high, too. I saw a couple of mating pairs of mason wasps, and there were at least four genera that I observed.

Mating mason wasps, Euodynerus foraminatus, male on top, in Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

One of the most interesting wasps found me. I noticed it on the sleeve of my shirt, took a picture, and then captured it for a controlled photoshoot at home. I thought it was a large eupelmid (family Eupelmidae), but in seeking further help with identification via a Facebook group, I learned it was something else entirely.

The Cleonymus magnificus wasp, maybe five millimeters, from Sportsfield Park in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Meet Cleonymus magnificus. Until recently, it was placed in the family Pteromalidae. It is now in its own family, the Cleonymidae. I will eventually write a blog post about this insect specifically, so stay tuned.

Please see my other blog, Sense of Misplaced, for a companion post that treats the birds, mammals, and other non-insect wildlife that I was fortunate enough to see during the City Nature Challenge. I promise there are some cuties in there.

A small but attractive longhorned beetle, genus Callidium, that I captured in Havens Park, Leavenworth, Kansas.

All of my observations for the 2026 City Nature Challenge can be found at this iNaturalist link. Feel free to share a link to your own observations in the comments. I would love to see what you discovered!