Friday Beetle Blogging: Phlox Stem Borer

i-e1f9a3fad06cc834c7f159e25630a0cd-phlox_borer1.jpg

Oberea flavipes, phlox stem borer beetles
Illinois

Here's a boring beetle.

That is, the larvae bore. They make their living carving tunnels through stems and consuming plant tissue. This pair was hanging out in the phlox in our back yard, apparently plotting the demise of our summer flower garden.


photo details:
Canon EOS 7D camera

Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens

ISO 100, f/13, 1/250sec

diffused twin flash

Thanks to Rob Mitchell for the ID.

More like this

The bold, playful style of Graphocephala coccinea, the candy-striped leafhopper, is all the rage this season: photo details: Canon EOS 7D camera Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens ISO 100, f/13, 1/250sec diffused twin flash
Glischrochilus sanguinolentus Bell Smith Springs, Illinois Just for you guys, here are some portraits of a colorful sap beetle in the family Nitidulidae I encountered in southern Illinois last weekend. It's a charming little insect, especially the cute, clubby antennae. The challenge with…
Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus Goldenrod Soldier Beetles Illinois, USA Here at Myrmecos Blog we aim for a family-friendly atmosphere.  Except for beetle sex.  Sometimes we just can't resist. (There's also plant sex going on here too, if you're into that sort of thing...) Photo details: Canon MP-E…
Colliuris pensylvanica, long-necked ground beetle. Arizona. photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 20D ISO 100, 1/250 sec, f/13, flash diffused through tracing paper