Buprestid beetles are important colonizers of dead and dying conifers. The larvae of these beetles initially mine a gallery beneath the bark, then tunnel deep within the log. These beetles can cause extensive damage to wood, but it is their frequent association with internal fungal decay that causes the greatest concern. Many insects are capable of vectoring fungi that enhance their prospects for successfully colonizing the substrate, but the potential roles of fungi in buprestid colonization of wood are poorly understood. The fungal associates of Buprestis langi Mannerheim were studied in beetles collected from lumber decks located near Mill City, Oregon in the Cascade Mountain range. Fungal isolations were attempted from external body segments, the gut, and from washings of the adults. In all, a total of 104 fungi from 19 taxa were collected. Trichoderma viride and several yeasts were the most commonly isolated organisms. Basidiomycetes represented only 3% of the total isolations. A majority of fungi were isolated from external body parts, suggesting that the associations were coincidental and no single fungal species was isolated from all of the adults studied. The results suggest that fungal decay associated with B. langi Mannerheim galleries is not the result of intentional vectoring by the beetle.

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