Jewel beetles, also known as metallic wood-boring beetles, profit in two ways from a dry summer: firstly because the warm summer accelerates their development, and secondly because the forest trees are weakened by the drought.

　　How rare are jewel beetles?

　　Jewel beetles are ubiquitous around the world but the majority of species are concentrated in the northern hemisphere. Jewel beetles are highly prized among insect collectors due to their unique colors; the more spectacular the more highly sought after.

　　Where do you find jewel beetles?

　　The jewel beetle lives in farmland, garden, forest, jungle, or woodlands. They may live on a plant or tree that is dying. Some species are attracted to recently burned forests and lay their eggs there. They are known as a tough species, that can thrive in adverse conditions.

　　Why are jewel beetles colorful?

　　The new findings suggest iridescence is an evolutionary two-for-one deal: it helps the jewel beetles hide, but it also scares off predators that manage to spot them. Kjernsmo speculates that this might help explain why so many insects are iridescent: it “allows them to be protected in many different contexts.”

　　Does jewel beetle bite?

　　They are easy to recognise as their front wings are hard, covering the second pair of wings and the abdomen. All beetles have biting mouthparts.

Buprestidae

Common name: Jewel beetles

Number of species: 18

Size Range: 2-12mm

Description: 

One of the more famous beetle families due to the bright metallic colours of some of the tropical species, there are just 17 species in Britain and most are restricted to the south of England.  They are elongate, parallel-sided beetles, 2-12mm long and tapering to a point at the posterior end: many are metallic green.  Larval exit holes in wood have a characteristic D-shape and are often the first clue to the existence of a colony. 

Eleven species are saproxylic: in particular Melanophila acuminata (De Geer) is the only resident beetle species to be associated strongly with fire-damaged wood, and can be found on lowland heathland.  Six species (Trachys and Aphanisticus spp.) have larvae which mine leaves or stems. 

The jewel beetles (Buprestidae) are a very large family of very small to large species with beautiful glossy iridescent colors. Worldwide some 15,000 species in 450 genera have been scientifically described. The major centre of distribution is the tropical region. In Germany only 100 species are known to occur. The beetles are markedly thermophilic. In Germany many species are only found in relatively warm areas like the Upper-Rhine valley, where they reach the northern border of their distribution range. Adults and larvae are herbivorous and often strictly associated with their host plant.

　　Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. Larvae of this family are known as flatheaded borers. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some 15,500 species known in 775 genera. In addition, almost 100 fossil species have been described.

　　The larger and more spectacularly colored jewel beetles are highly prized by insect collectors. The elytra of some Buprestidae species have been traditionally used in beetlewing jewellery and decoration in certain countries in Asia, like India, Thailand and Japan.

　　Description and ecology

　　Shape is generally cylindrical or elongate to ovoid, with lengths ranging from 3 to 80 mm (0.12 to 3.15 in), although most species are under 20 mm (0.79 in). Catoxantha, Chrysaspis, Euchroma and Megaloxantha contain the largest species. A variety of bright colors are known, often in complicated patterns. The iridescence common to these beetles is not due to pigments in the exoskeleton, but instead is caused by structural coloration, in which microscopic texture in their cuticle selectively reflects specific frequencies of light in particular directions. This is the same effect that makes a compact disc reflect multiple colors.

　　The larvae bore through roots, logs, stems, and leaves of various types of plants, ranging from trees to grasses. The wood boring types generally favor dying or dead branches on otherwise-healthy trees, while a few types attack green wood; some of these are serious pests capable of killing trees and causing major economic damage, such as the invasive emerald ash borer. Some species are attracted to recently burned forests to lay their eggs. They can sense pine wood smoke from up to 50 miles away, and can see infrared light, helping them to zero in as they get closer to a forest fire.

　　Ten species of flatheaded borers of the family Buprestidae feed on spruce and fir, but hemlock is their preferred food source (Rose and Lindquist 1985). As with roundheaded borers, most feeding occurs in dying or dead trees, or close to injuries on living trees. Damage becomes abundant only where a continuing supply of breeding material is available. The life history of these borers is similar to that of the roundheaded borers, but some exceedingly long life cycles have been reported under adverse conditions. Full-grown larvae, up to 25 mm long, are characteristically flattened, the anterior part of the body being much broader than the rest. The bronzed adults are usually seen only where suitable material occurs in sunny locations.

　　Ecology

　　Adults of most species are thermophilous and heliophilous and may be seen basking or swarming around host material in bright sun although, especially in tropical regions, they may also be, or even exclusively so, crepuscular or nocturnal; they are usually very active, running and flying rapidly and despite their brilliant colours they may be difficult to sample. They are attracted to light and fermenting vegetation, in Australia some are strongly attracted to beer, and in the tropics are often present in trapping samples. Some are strongly attracted to burning wood e.g. some members of the temperate genus Melanophila Eschscholtz, 1829 are attracted to conifer fires and the Australian Merima atrata (Gory & Laporte, 1837) which is attracted to burning eucalyptus, in both cases oviposition on smouldering wood is essential to their development.

In both cases the adults resemble charcoal. Both angiosperms and gymnosperms are hosts and species may be monophagous, oligophagous or polyphagous; the wood boring species generally choose damaged or dying parts of otherwise healthy trees. Eggs are usually placed in small groups among the bark etc. and hatch within a week or two. Young larvae feed in the cambium for a while before entering the xylem. There are between three and seven instars and many are univoltine although this varies widely and it is thought that Buprestis aurulenta Linnaeus, 1767 may bethe longest lived beetle as they have been recorded developing as larvae for more than sixty years.

Adults of many species feed on pollen or leaves and may be restricted to the host but are often independent of this, thus many species can be sampled at flowers or by sweeping suitable foliage. Some produce galls on a range of plants e.g. Corylus, Rosa, Fagus, Alnus etc. and some develop in pine cones.

Many species develop in herbaceous plants e.g. Agrilus hyperici (Creutzer, 1799) in Hypericum stems, and used as a biological control agent in Australia, while some attack commercially grown hollyhocks e.g. the Palaearctic Trachys troglodytiformis Obenberger, 1918, some Aphantsticus Latreille, 1829 develop in Carex and Juncus stems but this mode of life in less common in temperate regions. One species Habroloma myrmecophila Bilý, Fikáček & Sipek, 2008 has recently been found to be myrmecophilous.

Species of the Julodinae develop in the soil, feeding on roots, and the larvae are uniquely adapted within the family. Buprestids are not generally considered to be pest; in large numbers the leaf miners may stunt the growth of individual trees and some stem borers may be a nuisance where the hosts are grown commercially but in forestry generally they are insignificant. An exception may be Agrilus biguttatus (Fabricius, 1777) which has been suggested as the main cause for a recent decline in oaks across Europe. As with any family containing so many saproxylic species they are likely to be transported around the world as a result of the international trade in timber and so exotics are likely to occur just about anywhere.

　　The jewel beetle has a shiny, brilliant color on its chitinous shell called the carapace. Buprestidae is their scientific name, but they are known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles. The larvae are known as flat-headed borers. There are 15,500 species known in 775 genera. Insect collectors are very passionate about some of the most vibrantly colored large beetles in this species. In many countries like Japan, Thailand, and India, the colorful shells are used for making beetle wing jewelry. These bugs are mostly cylindrical, elongated, or ovoid in shape. They also come with interesting and complicated patterns along with their brilliant colors. The bright colors of the jewel beetle are not because of the pigments in the exoskeleton but it is caused by structural coloration in which the microscopic texture of their cuticle selectively reflects specific frequencies of light in a particular direction. These include the inaba jewel beetle, green jewel beetle, new leaf jewel beetle, golden jewel beetle, rainbow jewel beetle, purple jewel beetle, emerald jewel beetle, and more.

　　Some of these jewel beetles, also known as metallic-wood borer beetles, come under the serious pest category due to their capabilities to cause serious damage on a large scale. One such pest jewel beetle is the emerald ash borer. They can see infrared light from a distance which helps them to get closer to a forest fire. They come in colors like reds, greens, blues, and purples. Jewel beetles are known to thrive on deadwood. They lay their eggs there and develop their various larvae stages inside the deadwood.

　　What type of animal is a jewel beetle?

　　The jewel beetle is a type of beetle species or a bug found in the forest trees in the northern hemisphere. They are famous for their vividly colored bodies in jewel or metallic colors. Some of the subspecies include Japanese jewel beetle, giant jewel beetle, African jewel beetle, Australian jewel beetle, and more.

　　What class of animal does a jewel beetle belong to?

　　The jewel beetle belongs to the insect class of animals, family Buprestidae. They are brilliantly colored insects whose species are known as pests, too, which cause great economic damage to farmlands and gardens. These insects are widely found in forest trees.

　　How many jewel beetles are there in the world?

　　The exact number of jewel beetles across the world would be difficult to calculate as they are difficult to calculate. There are hundreds of subspecies and genera for this species which makes it all the more difficult to come up with exact numbers.

　　Where does a jewel beetle live?

　　The jewel beetle lives in farmland, garden, forest, jungle, or woodlands. They may live on a plant or tree that is dying. Some species are attracted to recently burned forests and lay their eggs there. They are known as a tough species, that can thrive in adverse conditions.

　　What is a jewel beetle’s habitat?

　　The habitat of the jewel beetle could be any region with abundant plants and trees. That is, they feed and live on the ground as well. They are found on a dying plant or a dying branch of a tree.

　　Who do jewel beetles live with?

　　The jewel beetle lives alone most of the time. The jewel beetle habitat may be in the vicinity of other beetles and insects, but they lead a solitary existence until the breeding season. Most beetles spend their whole life in the area or around it.

　　How long does a jewel beetle live?

　　The adult jewel beetle lives for three weeks. They may live for a few days or a few weeks. At the pupal stage, the beetle can live for a longer duration even in adverse conditions.

　　How do they reproduce?

　　The mating ritual of the jewel beetle is as good as a Roman Gladiator. In certain species, they may fight to the death to win mating rights. Males may fight amongst themselves, or females will fight each other to win mating rights. The strongest one that survives these battles will mate. The mating process usually lasts for a few minutes to several hours. After the mating is over, the female will go to the bark of a tree to lay her eggs. The eggs are laid on the host trees, in the cracks present in the bark of the respective trees.

　　The life cycle of jewel beetles can be called complete metamorphosis and is divided into four stages, which are egg, larva, pupal, and adult. The larvae of these beetles are known as flat-headed borers, too. Female jewel beetles will lay 20-30 eggs on host trees, usually in the tiny crevice of the bark or under a shoot or a stem. Beetle larvae then grow into a worm-like appearance and are voracious eaters. As they begin to grow, they will discard their outer covering, which is known as the exoskeleton, to have more room. This process is called molting and can happen seven to ten times before it enters the pupal stage. In the pupal stage, the larvae from the pupa or cocoon and lay dormant in it. This is the most transformative stage for the growth of the beetle. This is the time when the larvae take the shape of the adult beetle. The jewel beetle can take anywhere between days to years to grow into a full-fledged adult. After crossing this stage the jewel beetle attends full adulthood.