No official photos here…this is our very own, captured this morning, sonofabitch Asian Longhorned Beetle.
(We were going to put a newspaper next to him, terrorist victim style, but he is a fast bugger.)
We’re pretty sure we’re violated a Federal Directive by transporting him but for you guys, anything.
10 Comments
August 27, 2008 at 10:38 am
Maybe you should give it to “Mike” over at Hyphoid Logic blog, so he can rip its guts out and study the fungus it uses to digest wood. It’s possible he could discover a way to attack that particular fungus and thereby develop an effective way of actually stopping this pest.
He posted about this last week:
http://vyoma108.blogspot.com/2008/08/asian-longhorned-beetles-employ-fungal.html
August 27, 2008 at 11:50 am
arrrhhh… kill the SOB! No, no wait!
Let’s torture him and find out where the others are.
August 27, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Wait wait, I gotta another one:
Take me to your leader earthling.
August 27, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Wait one here…it’s an ‘illegal’ Alien and has more rights than us US citizens. Put him on the Welfare system, or tell him he has to speak english or get a job…then they’ll all leave…!
August 27, 2008 at 2:26 pm
wait a minute here…it’s an ‘illegal’ Alien and has more rights than us US Citizens. Put it on the Welfare System or make it get a Job (working for the city) and they’ll all leave.
August 27, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Much as I would enjoy disemboweling the beast and culturing the Fusarium/Nectria sp. that allegedly helps it to break down lignin, it could be big trouble to actually do it. My lab apparently doesn’t have the right permissions from the government for a project like that. So thanks for keeping me in mind, and yeah, this would be up my alley… but we’re subject to USDA/APHIS inspection and I can’t get involved in something like this at the moment.
Now, there are some people at Penn State who aren’t authors on that paper, and that surprises me. Dave Geiss, for instance. Weird that a Fusarium “guru” isn’t already in on this.
August 27, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Yes, it is a violation of federal and state regulations to remove beetles, or the wood they could be in, from the quarantine zone.
I recommend you kill the beetle immediately and amend your blog to indicate that. Also, if you found the beetle in an area not known to the feds, you should let them know, in the interest of helping your city with this problem and all.
There are lots of free photos of asian long-horned beetle around, no need to seek out live subjects
August 27, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Fedex him back to China!
Or whack him with a newspaper!
August 27, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Dude,
State and federal fines and penalties.
Destroy him, FAST!
Freezer is the recommended manner from the QCC meeting.
Bad, bad, bad!
August 29, 2008 at 4:53 pm
We’ve gotten a lot of questions publicly and privately about our beetle capture, but for the record, the bug(missing a leg at the time of capture) was at all times in total captivity, after which it was entirely and completely and 100% euthanize without ever being outside a closed and secure environment. The beetle is, was, and will remain totally dead. In no way should beetles EVER be transported outside the quarantine zone.