HUGE bug.
Location: Northern California, hills
January 27, 2011 7:19 pm
Found in Northern California, Bay Area (near San Francisco)
Up in the hills, at the campus of College of San Mateo
Was pretty cold out, but around summer, before fall semester.
I think it’s just some kind of beetle, but I wanna know exactly what kind. It was about 2 and a half inches long, and 1 wide.
Signature: What?
Dear What?
This is a Ponderous Borer, Trichocnemis spiculatus, which according to BugGuide is also known by the names “Pine Sawyer, Western Pine Sawyer, Spined Woodborer, and Ponderosa Pine Borer.” The large grubs bore into the wood of the Ponderosa Pine.
I think I saw this same beetle. CSM drive at the corner of Parrott Drive in San Mateo, Ca. It was sitting on my porch at 11 PM a few weeks ago. Got a picture too. It’s almost 3″ now. Shocked to see such a beautiful creature.