The Golden Buprestid is arguably one of the most beautiful insects we have in Montana. These beetles range throughout the western U.S. and Canada. They tend to focus on lightning-killed trees, where the larvae take between two to four years to mature and emerge as adults. However, there are instances when the larvae become trapped in milled lumber, where they can take from 20 to 30 years to emerge. They’ve been documented emerging from furniture, wood paneling, cutting boards and more. Listen to a two minute episode of our podcast, Bug Bytes, to learn more about these shining jewels.
Size: About ¾ inch long
Photo by: Brian Bolvari on 8/4/22 in Glacier National Park, MT