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Spotted Pine Sawyer – Monochamus clamator

Spotted Pine Sawyer (Monochamus clamator) Latin Name: Monochamus clamator Common Name: Spotted Pine Sawyer Appearance:
  • Adult pine sawyers are big beetles that range in color from black to brownish-gray with white markings. The overall color ranges from dark gray to black, with a large white patch in the center of the body towards the base of the wing coverings.
  • Some may be mostly gray, while others may be brown with vague patterned light patterns all over the body.
  • Adult pine sawyers have extraordinarily long antennae that can stretch one to three times the length of the body. Females tend to have a bigger body and shorter front legs than males.
  • The larvae are long, segmented, legless grubs with brownish heads that grow 20-25 mm long when fully developed.
Territory: They are found in ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir habitats. The spotted pine grows on spruces and true firs, whereas the white spot grows on spruces and fir trees. Damage caused by Spotted Pine Sawyer: Pine sawyers emerge as wood borers in conifers (pines, spruces, Douglas-fir, true firs) that have been recently killed/felled or are in significant decline. Life history and Habits: Pine sawyers emerge as wood borers in conifers (pines, spruces, Douglas-fir, true firs) that have been recently killed/felled or are in significant decline. Eggs are placed in little holes carved into the bark of trunks or big limbs by the female. Initially, the larvae dig beneath the bark, forming vast tunnels packed with fibrous frass. Healthy trees are not affected; however, they can be an issue on newly transplanted pines. They fly well and occasionally land on and frighten people working or playing in the forest. When they reach full size, they return to the surface and build a chamber under the bark that is sealed with a plug. Large mounds of sawdust and fiber frequently form beneath afflicted trees or logs.