Hi there,

Thanks for your submission to the hotline. Congratulations, what you have found is one of the largest beetle species in Oregon and the western U.S., the California prionus, or the "giant root borer" (Prionus californicus). It belongs to the longhorn beetle family. The larvae feed upon roots of hardwood trees, primarily oak, cottonwood, madrone, fruit trees and sometimes dead wood of pine, Douglas-fir, and true fir. It takes 3 to 5 years for this insect to complete its life cycle (most insects are one year or less). It is not a pest and it is native.

Good job!

Wyatt

Wyatt Williams
Sept. 9, 2016, 9:10 a.m.