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White-spotted Sawyer

Monochamus scutellatus

Description:

This dark insect is about 2 cm (1 in) in length, not including their very impressive antennae. This particular species of sawyer has a small white spot on its back between the junction of the elytra (wing covers).

Habitat:

Pine forests. The larvae, known as the round-headed wood borer, feeds on dead or dying trees. It is not unusual to hear these larvae chewing on the wood of a nearby tree. They sound like a creaking rocking chair in a regular cadence. Creeeek, creeek, creeek.... Each creek is about a second long with an equal length of time between notes.

Notes:

I spotted this sawyer flying slowly and in a relatively straight line through the woods before coming to rest on a friend's hat (second photo). We were sitting around the fire at the camp in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. He was a good sport as it climbed his arm, neck and then onto his hat.

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Gordon Dietzman
Spotted by
Gordon Dietzman

Minnesota, USA

Spotted on Sep 27, 2013
Submitted on Dec 6, 2013

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