Species Megacyllene antennata
"Mesquite Borer" or "Cat's Claw Borer"
Length - 1 inch
Gorgeous Mesquite or Cat's Claw borer found in Henderson, Nevada. Since we have lots of
Mesquite in Utah, I'm sure this beetle is prevalent throughout the state.
The only other time I saw a wood borer was when one crawled from my fireplace next
to where I was sitting by a roaring fire. They must be a hardy family of insects! I, on
the other hand, almost died from heart failure when I saw the large crawling insect
emerging from the ashes! Needless to say, it soon became "toast".
According to The Magnificent Mesquite by Ken Rogers, Megacyllene antennata is one of
the most destructive of the wood-borers. They "fly early in the fall and again in the spring,
placing their eggs in bark crevices of dead or dying trees and of wood that has been cut
for not more than a few months. In a short time the eggs hatch and the larvae burrow
beneath the bark, enter the wood and excavate extensive mines. Fence posts can be severely
infested and damaged if cut in this 'adult flying" period. © Carol Davis, 3-30-2010
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