Pine Sawyer

This beetle is native to the area and is not considered a deforestation threat

This is a sawyer beetle, a type of long-horned beetle. There are two species of sawyer beetle in Maine, where this photo was taken. There is the whitespotted sawyer beetle and the Northeastern pine sawyer. Both species are similar looking, with the Northeastern pine sawyer being slightly larger and not as dark in color. The body length of a sawyer beetle is usually an inch or two while the antennae can measure two to three inches! As you can see in this photo, the antennae are very long and they resemble the surrounding pine needles.

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle

These insects are native to the region and are known for boring into conifers. They tend to choose eastern white pine, which there are plenty of throughout Maine. The sawyer beetle will generally choose already dead or dying trees for their larvae. Sawyer beetles are considered a minor pest to the conifers, since they do consume healthy tree parts. However, this beetle is native to the area and is not considered a deforestation threat.

The life cycle of a sawyer beetle is short and sweet. Female sawyer beetles lay their eggs in the separations in the bark of a dying or dead conifer tree. The larvae develop in the tree, going through several instars. An instar is a developmental stage for arthropods (insects, spiders, centipedes, etc.). Eventually they reach the pupal stage, a transition between immature and mature stages. Come spring, a new adult emerges.

Checkered Melon Beetle

I took this photo in Betel, Maine along the banks of the beautiful Androscoggin River. It was a summer day and I was looking around for insects to shoot photos of. The sawyer beetle blended in perfectly in the sea of pine needles. I approached slowly and got within a couple inches of it to get this photograph.

Check out more adventures from the Androscoggin River:

Androscoggin River