We have kept both specimens since Wednesday, Aug. 18 ; they are now dead, but should we continue to keep the bodies for further identification?

Reporter
Aug. 20, 2010, 2 a.m.

Hi Sarah, thank you for your report. The species in the photo you sent is a banded alder borer. It is a longhorn beetle that is commonly found throughout the west. The larvae feed in the trunks of dead of maple, alder, ash, sycamore, oak and willow. The adults emerge in mid-summer and are often found by home owners. Note that the light colored areas of this beetle can vary from bright white to a pale blue.

More information is available at: http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/plantclinic/resources/pdf/pls55bandedalder.pdf

Thank you for your report.

Lisa DeBruyckere
Aug. 20, 2010, 4:01 a.m.