unwanted house guest

ely · March 17, 2011, 12:01:19 PM

my girlfriend found this guy flying around the house last night.

it doesent have the green color that i seen on the bugs in the sawmill and woodlot mag. awhile back but it sure has the shape and look. any guesses?

northwoods1 · March 17, 2011, 12:20:10 PM

Yah, that is magnificent specimen of one of those *&%tards I always make it a point to step on when I am walking around my pine log piles. That is what lays the eggs of the grubs that bore holes through your pine logs. AKA asian longhorn beetle.

Mooseherder · March 17, 2011, 12:22:05 PM

Don't shoot while it is indoors. ;D

lumberjack48 · March 17, 2011, 12:54:17 PM

Is that what we call a Jack Pine Savage ?

RynSmith · March 17, 2011, 01:01:07 PM

Well I'm no entomologist but there are many native longhorn beetles and I, for one, sure as heck hope it's not an Asian longhorn in Oklahoma...

On the off chance anyone wants to try to identify it, this site may help:

http://bugguide.net/node/view/171/bgimage

northwoods1 · March 17, 2011, 01:22:17 PM

Quote from: RynSmith on March 17, 2011, 01:01:07 PM
Well I'm no entomologist but there are many native longhorn beetles and I, for one, sure as heck hope it's not an Asian longhorn in Oklahoma...

On the off chance anyone wants to try to identify it, this site may help:

http://bugguide.net/node/view/171/bgimage

Hello Ryn, I am no entomologist either I barely graduated the 10 grade :D. but that sure as heck looks like the same type of beetle that there are scads of all over this area. I'd recognize that little nasty critter anywhere as the one that creates a type of grub that eats certain types of woods. I am surprised that you do not have it down your way... do you have anything similar? If not it could very well be what I am describing.

RynSmith · March 17, 2011, 01:40:52 PM

I'm just saying I hope it's not an Asian longhorn beetle. There are many native longhorns that are a part of our ecosystems even though we may not like what they do to our logs. And yeah, there are several native species out here too!

The Asian one, on the other hand, would be highly destructive to standing live trees (think emerald ash borer without being species specific) and only confirmed in Boston and NYC right now (I think).

This isn't great but it's what I could find right now...

http://www.asian-longhorned-beetle.com/asianlonghornedbeetle-2.htm

Tom · March 17, 2011, 02:06:57 PM

While the fuzzy picture makes real identification difficult, it still has all of the earmarks of a Sawyer (Sawyer Pine Beetle)

http://www.ento.okstate.edu/ddd/insects/pinesawyerbeetle.htm

northwoods1 · March 17, 2011, 02:19:46 PM

Quote from: Tom on March 17, 2011, 02:06:57 PM
While the fuzzy picture makes real identification difficult, it still has all of the earmarks of a Sawyer (Sawyer Pine Beetle)

http://www.ento.okstate.edu/ddd/insects/pinesawyerbeetle.htm

That is what it more likely is, like Ryn pointed out the Asian beetles attack living trees. I don't think you could go wrong by squashing it though. :D

g_man · March 17, 2011, 02:48:06 PM

To me the little white spot in the top middle of its back makes it a Pine Sawyer not an Asian Long Horn. You don't want to see any of them.

sandhills · March 17, 2011, 02:56:55 PM

Quote from: Mooseherder on March 17, 2011, 12:22:05 PM
Don't shoot while it is indoors. ;D

Why not? I would :D

ely · March 17, 2011, 03:38:17 PM

he does have two small dots on his back. and in my picture taking defence he his sorta fuzzy in person too. could just be dusty from flying around my house though.....i didnt say that if my girlfriend ever reads this.

we have alot of what i call thump bugs or pine bore beetles here. they are grey and black in color, sort of mottled. they will make a click or thumping noise if you pin them down. they do not have the long anttennae like this one. i have probably only seen 8 or ten like this before.

SwampDonkey · March 17, 2011, 03:52:36 PM

Well it's in the sawyer group for sure like all them bugs mentioned. They all like to chew up wood. ;D

thecfarm · March 17, 2011, 04:18:43 PM

As soon as I cut a white pine tree they are there.Real odd the way they can sniff them trees out.

SwampDonkey · March 17, 2011, 04:36:04 PM

I've been on a log yard as the guy was bringing the wood out. Standing there talking and visiting and be almost run over by the sawyers flying and colliding with your shirt or ball cap and landing to check out the dinner table. They bite. :D

BOBWOOD · March 17, 2011, 06:43:19 PM

We have the sawyer beetles here too...and like thecfarm said they sure do sniff out the fresh cut lumber...kinda funny seeing them walking around on the cant as it passes through the saw...they do bite but the headsaw bites more :D

madmari · March 17, 2011, 06:53:14 PM

I'd go with a .45-70 minimum on that beetle thingy. Would'nt want to wound it and let it get back to the camp to warn others.
Happy hunting......

estiers · March 18, 2011, 08:47:43 AM

Photo credit: Donald Duerr, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Here is a comparison. This is an Asian Longhorned Beetle. Looks like it has "more meat on its bones" than your specimen. Plus, the legs are different.

Chuck White · March 18, 2011, 09:26:58 AM

Common terminology in this area, it's a Pine Beetle!

Note; They will bite too.

John Mc · March 18, 2011, 11:30:31 AM

Quote from: RynSmith on March 17, 2011, 01:40:52 PM
I'm just saying I hope it's not an Asian longhorn beetle...

The Asian one, on the other hand, would be highly destructive to standing live trees (think emerald ash borer without being species specific) and only confirmed in Boston and NYC right now (I think).

The initial outbreak of ALB in Massachusetts was in Worcester (central Mass). It was there for a number of years before they realized they had a problem. Boston has been a relatively recent addition to the affected area.

Coon · March 18, 2011, 12:37:27 PM

We got long horned spruce beetles here and man o man they will make you high-tail it outta the bush if you let em under your britches. :D They sure take a slab o' meat with em when they take a bite. I've been known to play baseball with em with a piece of edging while tailing bords of the mill. They make almost as much noise, when you connect, as if you hit a softball. :D

estiers · March 18, 2011, 04:08:41 PM

Quote from: RynSmith on March 17, 2011, 01:40:52 PM

The Asian one, on the other hand, would be highly destructive to standing live trees (think emerald ash borer without being species specific) and only confirmed in Boston and NYC right now (I think).

ALB is currently in MA (Worcester), NY, and NJ. The Boston find was 6 trees. They are surveying there currently, and have found no new positive trees past the initial 6. ALB has also been found in the Chicago area. However, that area has been declared eradicated since 2007.

Phorester · March 18, 2011, 09:04:57 PM

I'd go with rat shot rather than that solid point laying next to it.

Ed_K · March 19, 2011, 05:10:31 PM

The Worcester outbreak went 12 yrs before detection,as of dec 2010. 83 sq mi is quorantined (spelling) and over 28 thousand trees have been cut and chipped,stumps too.They are now injecting the leftovers to try and save whats left.You don't want to see one of those beetles.Our maple industry is really scared that some of them where transported to other places in firewood. :( :( :(

John Mc · March 19, 2011, 05:41:13 PM

Quote from: Ed_K on March 19, 2011, 05:10:31 PM
Our maple industry is really scared that some of them where transported to other places in firewood. :( :( :(

We're worried here in Vermont as well. We've had no reports of ALB in the state so far, but you just know it's got to be here with the length of time the outbreak went undetected in Worcester, MA. Someone had to have decided to put that dead tree in their back yard to good use by cutting it up for firewood. What are the chances a bunch of those folks decided "hey, lets bring some firewood with us up to the vacation home/hunting cabin/campground when we go up to Vermont..."