Juniperella mirabilis

[58chevy]

J. mirabilis is an extremely rare and boldly-patterned buprestid. For me it's the Holy Grail of North American beetles. I don't expect to ever capture or own one, but I once dreamed that I caught one. I was really disappointed when I woke up. According to published literature (and there's not much), they live at fairly high altitudes in a certain mountain range in California. They feed on juniper. Is anybody out there familiar with this species? Does anybody have a specimen?

Here's a link:
bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=juniperella+mirabilis

[livingplanet3]

I've heard of that species, but don't have it in my collection (or know anyone who does). Indeed, it seems to have a rather limited distribution in CA.

In my local area however, I've found some great specimens of Buprestis rufipes -



Hoping to eventually find some Lampetis drummondii further to the west of here -

bugguide.net/node/view/1112069/bgimage

Would be nice to come across Megapurpuricenus magnificus, too! -

bugguide.net/node/view/672848/bgimage

[bandrow]

Greetings,

I've never seen a specimen of Juniperella - they are certainly one of the more interesting NA buprestids.

I have always thought that Buprestis rufipes is one of the finest bups we have in the U.S. - maybe even prettier on the bottom than on top! It was one of the first buprestids I collected as a kid, and the way I got it was even more fun. I was working at a YMCA day camp when I was about 15 (in 1975), and discovered a colony of Cerceris wasps on the edge of the baseball diamond. I spent hours watching for the wasps to come in carrying their paralyzed prey, and one of the first arrivals was carrying a Buprestis rufipes. Turned out to be the only one, but I got a bunch of Dicerca and Chrysobothris.

For many years, I thought I was the only one that had seen Cerceris doing this, but it's become a widely-used method to survey for emerald ash borer. It's fun to "discover" things on one's own when you're a kid and starting out - even if it's already widely known by others with more experience!

Cheers!
Bandrow

[leptraps]

I was part of a six (6) collector trip to SE Arizona in 1988(?). We visited a place called the Wilcox Playa, near Wilcox, AZ. I had been to Wilcox, AZ previously, but not with any Coleopterist. These guys had aerosol cans of Raid with a long red plastic straw which they would spray and kill any tiger beetle that came into range.

I dug a hole in the midst of the Playa and buried the Light Trap to the top of the pail. I partially buried the battery as well. I collected more Tiger Betles in one Light Trap than the others did with spray cans in two days.

I kept all of the Tiger Beetles I collected. Several years later I gave all of my Tiger Beetles to a teenage Coleopterist in West Virginia.

[58chevy]

livingplanet3,

B rufipes is one of my favorites also but I never see them, even though I live within their range (E. TX). I've collected a few in the past, but haven't seen one in decades. Where do you live & what did you find them on? Did you use bait? Lampetis drummondi is found in the Davis Mts. of W. TX. M. magnificus is found in AZ at Texas Canyon, just off I-10 in early July. The flight window is small. Another cool buprestid is Thrincopyge alacris, which looks similar to B rufipes.

[livingplanet3]

Jan 24, 2021 10:48:55 GMT -8 58chevy said:

livingplanet3,

B rufipes is one of my favorites also but I never see them, even though I live within their range (E. TX). I've collected a few in the past, but haven't seen one in decades. Where do you live & what did you find them on? Did you use bait? Lampetis drummondi is found in the Davis Mts. of W. TX. M. magnificus is found in AZ at Texas Canyon, just off I-10 in early July. The flight window is small. Another cool buprestid is Thrincopyge alacris, which looks similar to B rufipes.

I've only ever found rufipes incidentally - wasn't intentionally looking for them. However, most were sitting on old log piles. The larvae of this species feed only on dead, rather than live wood (including elm and oak). I've often wondered if the adults might come to some kind of bait (either food or pheromone-based). I've not come across Thrincopyge alacris, but did see an Acmaeodera scalaris in AZ some years ago.

[bandrow]

Greetings,

I've taken B. rufipes a few times as they sat on or were flying around the trunks of dead trees, especially beech. They often stay high on the trunk of a standing dead tree, and it takes some luck to net them. I've also seen about 4-6 specimens per year in Lindgren funnel trap samples - but 4-6 beetles out of 5,000+ samples per year is pretty meager - I wouldn't say that they're easily taken by that method.

Cheers!
Bandrow