Aurigena chlorana Laport et Gory

(Sometimes placed in the genus Perotis).

Common name: Green buprestid.

Taxonomic placing: Insecta, Holometabola, Coleoptera, Buprestidae.

Geographical distribution: The Middle East to Iraq, Greece.

Host plants: Rose and many fruit trees, including almond, apple, avocado, peach, pear, pomegranate and others.

Morphology: The adults are 18-28 mm long, shiny green, dorsum of thorax punctuated, elytra with punctuated longitudinal stripes. Larvae whitish with many hairs, about 30 mm in length.

Life history: Adults emerge in spring, laying about 2300 eggs/female in cracks on the host plant, in various wounds or at the joints of dried shoots. Larvae appear in mid-July, fall to the ground and enter the root-crown and begin to feed on roots, excavating galleries, and on the wood under the bark tissue. They remain and feed there, the development of a single generation lasting 2-3 years. The adults may live for 3-4 months.

Economic importance: The adults feed on host leaves and young shoots, and may consume much of these plant parts. The larvae occur and feed on pear roots and damage them, in Turkey they are serious pests of roses..

Management

Horticultural methods: Pruning susceptible plants to reduce egg-laying sites and burning of affected plant parts.

Chemical control: Various insecticides, like carbamates, organophosphates or pyrethroids are sometimes recommended to control the pest.

References

Gentry, J.W. 1965. Crop Insects of Northeast Africa-Southwest Asia, Agricultural Handbook # 273.

Zeki, H., Tamer, A., Örmeci, K.Ş., Bozkir, M.Ç and Toros, S. 1999. Investigations on the biology and control of Aurigena chlorana (Lap. et Gory) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) harmful to oil roses in Isparta Province (Turkey). Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry 23: 165-182.

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