Agrilus

Agrilus
Agrilus cephalicus
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Elateriformia
Family: Buprestidae
Subfamily: Agrilinae
Tribe: Agrilini
Subtribe: Agrilina
Genus: Agrilus
Curtis, 1825
Type species
Buprestis viridis
Diversity
2,877+ species
Synonyms
  • Teres Harris, 1830
  • Euryotes Dejean, 1836
  • Paradomorphus Waterhouse, 1887
  • Samboides Kerremans, 1900
  • Callichitones Obenberger, 1931
  • Therysambus Descarpentries, & Villiers, 1967

Agrilus is a genus of jewel beetles, notable for having the largest number of species (about 3000) of any single genus in the animal kingdom. Species of the genus have a cosmopolitan distribution on all continents except Antarctica, and feed on a wide variety of flowering plant hosts. The best known species is the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), a serious pest of ash trees, with other notable species including Agrilus biguttatus and Agrilus auroguttatus, which are pests of oak trees.