В Канаде обнаружен гигантский короед калифорнийский, способный уничтожать косточковые деревья

California root borer can grow to 3.5 inches and are found in the region Big and ugly beetle Today's Bug of the Week is one of the largest beetles in Canada. The California root borer can grow to 3.5 inches, almost nine centimetres, and are a rather intimidating-looking bug. Paul Cousins spotted one of the creatures near his Okanagan home recently. Despite their size and look, they are not a danger to humans – unless you find a large reddish-brown beetle with large antennae and large pinchers scary in which case you might have entomophobia, sometimes known as insectophobia. The root borers can pinch with their strong jaws if handled or directly provoked, but they are not aggressive and have no venom of any sort. Leave them alone and they will likely leave you alone. They do have wings, and they can fly, but are mostly nocturnal and prefer not to interact with people. “These are common to the Pacific Northwest and have a tendency to inhabit stone fruit trees,” said Steve Ball Sr., with Bug Master in Kelowna, adding that they are considered a pest to orchardists. “They are particularly harmful to orchards as they can, over time, actually kill the fruit tree,” Ball said. Their attack on trees begins in the larval stage and may even go unnoticed until the damage is done. “Control over these insects is difficult as the majority of damage they do is below ground - hence the name. Various insecticides will have the desired effect once they are identified as the harmful culprit.” The lifespan of the beetle is only 10-20 days, but they put a lot of effort into ensuring their species survives during those few short days. Shortly after mating, the female lays a single cream to yellow-brown egg, of which she can produce up to 200 in her lifespan of less than three weeks. The larvae furrow and tunnel through the roots as they feed, moving upward and inward. Like the adult beetle, the larvae are quite large for a baby insect. And if you are brave enough – and hungry enough – the larvae and adult versions of the beetle are both considered edible. Have you had a close encounter of the insect kind? Email us a picture or video and we may feature it as out Bug of the Week. More Vernon News Vernon Discussion Forum District of Coldstream Village of Lumby City of Armstrong City of Enderby District of Sicamous Interior Health Okanagan Regional Library