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Longhorn BeetlesIs Dan around? I have a new bug. This thing is about 1.25 to 1.5 inches long, not including antennae. Actual size, on my computer. I bought another little digital camera. It takes crappy up-close photos, apparently. 
chris
Hi Chris,
You have one of the Borer Beetles, Family Cerambycidae. My best guess is a Western Pine Sawyer, Ergates spiculatus. Males have longer antennae. The dark head and prothorax and the lighter elytra or wing covers are a good indication of the species. Your specimen is small. Large males will reach 2 1/4 inches. They are attracted to lights. The eggs are laid in dead pine and the larvae which take two or three years to mature, are generally found in trees dead more than a year. Adults sometimes visit flowers for pollen. Dan, one of our beetle experts writes back: “daniel yup looks like ergates to me i wouldn’t refer to this as a pine sawyer though. Pine Sawyers are in the genus monochamus (much smaller) dan”
There you go. I looked up ergates spiculatus after receiving your email and the pictures that come up look pretty much like the beetle I had. They sound relatively harmless. It might have been a “small” one, but it was big enough. It surprised me pretty good…almost as much as the first Jerusalem Cricket I found.
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