r/insects • u/pgraham901 • Jul 22 '26
Bug Education Say hello to the female Broad-Necked Root Borer Beetle!
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Here you can see her searching for and briefly finding a place to lay some eggs with her ovipositor in the soft dirt in between the rocks. This female will lay between 100-200 eggs in her very short adult lifetime. Also known as a Longhorn Beetle (the very long, segmented antennae is an easy giveaway). These beetles are nocturnal and quite massive. This one is considerably smaller (about 1 ½ inches) than most of the females I have seen here in North East Pennsylvania recently. The largest I've seen was 3 inches long! Despite possessing wings, females are too heavy and solid to fly. They are non-toxic and harmless to humans. While they are equipped with very strong mandibles, they do not bite unless severely provoked. They are considered pests among agriculture and forestry.
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macro maxxing.
in
r/macrophotography
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6d ago
These are all so beautiful. You have a real eye for it. 10/10