Texas Beetle Information

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Red-legged Buprestis

Buprestis rufipes Olivier, 1790

Family Buprestidae, Subfamily Buprestinae, Tribe Psilopterini

Big Creek Scenic Area, Sam Houston National Forest
San Jacinto County, Texas - July 5, 2007 (Martin Reid)

Texas County Records for Buprestis rufipes

County Record Source: E.G. Riley, July 2007

Range: Eastern U.S. to central Texas.

Adult Activity: Mostly June to August

Larval Hosts: Members of this genus bore into such trees as:

Fagus - Beech
Populus - Cottonwood
Acer - Maple
Quercus - Oak
various Conifers

Biological Note:

Members of this genus are often seen resting on trunks or branches of trees, particularly on beech and maple in open, sunny woodlots. If carefully approached these pretty insects may be easily captured, since they are not as active or tricky as the rest of the Buprestidae. (Edwards, 1949)

Similar Species: There are 18 species of Buprestis, generally distributed (Arnett et al. 2002).

Texas Taxa:

Buprestis apricans Herbst 180
Buprestis confluenta Say 1823
Buprestis decora Fabricius 1775
Buprestis lineata Fabricius 1781
Buprestis lyrata Casey 1909
Buprestis maculipennis Gory 1841
Buprestis parmaculiventris Knull 1958
Buprestis rufipes Olivier 1790

Photos: green form, blue-green form (less common) - BugGuide.Net

Etymology: Buprestis rufipes

buprest, =is (G). A beetle poisonous to cattle (but see discussion here)

ruf, -esc, -i (L). Red, reddish
-pes (L). A foot

Biography: Guillaume Antoine Olivier 1756-1814 - University of Nebraska-Lincoln State Museum - Division of Entomology

References:

Androw, R.A. An unusual method for collecting buprestids. Ohio Coleopterist 1(1): ? pp.

Arnett, R.H., Jr., M.C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley & J.H. Frank. (editors). 2002. American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. xiv + 861 pp.

Borror, D.J. 1960. Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms. National Press Books, Palo Alto. v + 134 pp.

Edwards, J.G. 1949. Coleoptera or Beetles East of the Great Plains. Edwards Brothers, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan. vii + 181 pp.