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dangerous, but what?

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Emery Davis

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Jun 19, 2012, 12:24:35 PM6/19/12
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http://tinyurl.com/cklvbye

The French government thinks it is not Anoplophora chinensis. Which is
good because I don't want my garden chipped and burned. :( The guy
from the ministry suggested perhaps Cossus cossus,

So, what beastie has done the deed?

I've been inspected for the last 3 years for Anoplophora, so this had me
very worried indeed. I'm still not totally sanguine about it, honestly.

-E

David in Normandy

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Jun 19, 2012, 12:41:36 PM6/19/12
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It isn't something as simple as woodpecker damage or some other bird
pecking holes looking for grubs? Can't tell the scale of the image as to
what diameter the trunk is.

Emery Davis

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Jun 19, 2012, 12:45:11 PM6/19/12
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The holes are about 1.5 cm in diameter, and are connected by tunnels
through the heart of the tree, which is a young apple. I'd hate to meet
the woodpecker that could make them!

David in Normandy

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Jun 19, 2012, 1:01:49 PM6/19/12
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Ah! I see. The holes look very like beak shaped damage but the tunnels
between indicate it can't be bird damage and has to be some sort of
insect. Goodness knows what insect could do that sort of damage though!


Janet

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Jun 19, 2012, 1:17:45 PM6/19/12
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In article <a4bniq...@mid.individual.net>, lae...@esserda.oc.ku
says...
>
> http://tinyurl.com/cklvbye
>
> The French government thinks it is not Anoplophora chinensis. Which is
> good because I don't want my garden chipped and burned. :( The guy
> from the ministry suggested perhaps Cossus cossus,
>
> So, what beastie has done the deed?

Maybe a woodpecker

http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/tree-damage-caused-by-woodpeckers

http://www.chuqui.com/2012/04/photo-of-the-day-acorn-woodpecker-working-
on-its-granary/

Janet
Message has been deleted

Janet

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Jun 19, 2012, 2:38:53 PM6/19/12
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In article <4fe0b08c$0$6160$ba4a...@reader.news.orange.fr>,
Davidin...@nospam.nospam says...
>
> On 19/06/2012 18:45, Emery Davis wrote:
> > On 06/19/2012 06:41 PM, David in Normandy wrote:
> >> On 19/06/2012 18:24, Emery Davis wrote:
> >>> http://tinyurl.com/cklvbye
> >>>
> >>> The French government thinks it is not Anoplophora chinensis. Which is
> >>> good because I don't want my garden chipped and burned. :( The guy
> >>> from the ministry suggested perhaps Cossus cossus,
> >>>
> >>> So, what beastie has done the deed?
> >>>
> >>> I've been inspected for the last 3 years for Anoplophora, so this had me
> >>> very worried indeed. I'm still not totally sanguine about it, honestly.
> >>>
> >>> -E
> >>>
> >>
> >> It isn't something as simple as woodpecker damage or some other bird
> >> pecking holes looking for grubs? Can't tell the scale of the image as to
> >> what diameter the trunk is.
> >>
> >
> > The holes are about 1.5 cm in diameter, and are connected by tunnels
> > through the heart of the tree, which is a young apple. I'd hate to meet
> > the woodpecker that could make them!

The heart tunnels could be insects and the larger holes made by
woodpeckers trying to get to the insects. I've seen huge splintered holes
made through wooden birdboxes, by woodpeckers determined to get to the
inhabitants.

Janet

Emery Davis

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Jun 19, 2012, 3:07:44 PM6/19/12
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On 06/19/2012 08:25 PM, Chris Hogg wrote:
> I don't understand. Did you make the big holes or was it something
> like a woodpecker, and if the latter, or perhaps the former, what was
> it, or were you, looking for? The grubs of either of those insects,
> perhaps?
>

I haven't touched the tree. There are small entrance holes on the back
side, then tunnels connected to the holes seen in the picture which are
exit holes. Definitely not a woodpecker. The ejecta of the grub in the
tree could be seen pushing out of the entrance holes, it looked like wet
sawdust.

I have contact with the forestry ministry because of the paper trail
between the garden and Boskoop, where the Anoplophora was found in
nurseries I deal with.

I am interested in what sort of insect made these exit holes, and the
tunnels. Since whatever it is has flown off, positive ID is impossible.

David Hill

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Jun 19, 2012, 4:25:07 PM6/19/12
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I'd cut it down and burn it

Emery Davis

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Jun 19, 2012, 5:23:58 PM6/19/12
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On 06/19/2012 10:25 PM, David Hill wrote:
> I'd cut it down and burn it

That is in its future, for sure! Too damaged to keep, I'm afraid.

Bob Hobden

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Jun 19, 2012, 5:58:29 PM6/19/12
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"Emery Davis" wrote
Goat Moth. Cossus cossus. ?

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Dave Liquorice

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Jun 19, 2012, 6:51:52 PM6/19/12
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On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 19:38:53 +0100, Janet wrote:

> The heart tunnels could be insects and the larger holes made by
> woodpeckers trying to get to the insects. I've seen huge splintered
> holes made through wooden birdboxes, by woodpeckers determined to get
> to the inhabitants.

That would be my guess as well insect exit holes are not normally
great messy things like that. A google image search on longhorn
beetle exit shows round holes about 1cm across.

There doesn't seem much about for the Goat Moth apart from a fully
grown larva being 10cm long so I should imagine well worth a
woodpecker putting in a fair bit of effort to get at one. Any wood
chips/splinters on the ground below the holes? An emerging insect or
grub wouldn't make wood chips/splinters. With Goat Moth there would
be the poo from the larve falling out of holes as well, just as you
describe.

Isn't google wonderful. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave.



Spider

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Jun 21, 2012, 6:35:29 PM6/21/12
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Leopard Moth larvae can create considerable tunnelling damage in fruit
trees. The extensive external damage could be, as others have said, a
Woodpecker's attempt to extract its meal.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay
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