We found this giant beetle hanging out on our screen door. I've never seen anything like it before. Is there any reason to be concerned? We live have lots of Doug Fir and Cedar on our property.
Nice find! That’s one of my favorites. It is a long-horned beetle called the ponderous borer, Trichocnemis spiculatus. They are native to this area, but I don’t see them all that often myself. I always feel lucky when I do get to see one because they are so spectacularly and unexpectedly large.
Ponderous borer larvae bore into and feed on wood of recently dead or dying conifers, especially Douglas-fir and Ponderosa pine. So in that way, they help recycle the dead wood in forests. They are known to loggers as “timber worms”. According to legend, the mandibles and boring action of the beetle larvae gave a logger the idea for the modern chainsaw.
The adult beetles are not inclined to bite, but I have learned from experience that if you mess with them too much, they will get mad and give you a pinch with their powerful jaws. It is more surprising than painful though.
Enjoy!
