While splitting nearly a cord of firewood today, with camera and collecting jar nearby, I saw only a few ants for the first two hours. Then, finally, on splitting a large round of Ponderosa Pine, a nice Cerambycid beetle emerged. It was unhurt, and was fast enough that I quickly grabbed my jelly jar rather than my camera. Some of the beetles are so fast, it's almost impossible to get a well-focused shot. I brought the beetle to my dining room and used the jar lid as a temporary studio. The beetle played 'possum, but I saw a few twitches and knew he was alive.
I then flipped him over for some action photos. He was still insulted and didn't really feel like walking, but I at least got some close-ups.
I believe it's the Hairy Pine Borer. Not a very large beetle as the Pine Borers go, but still interesting and providing a bit of amusement after all that hard work. I'll be splitting more tomorrow and hoping to see some of the more exotic residents of my wood pile.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
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