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Thanks Andrew. So I can rule out punky wood as the attraction.
Your bump in Horntails combined with my bump suggests timing. Horntails
take about 2 years to reach maturity and there was widespread tree damage in
Dec 2010 so the bump in tree damage may be the driving force.
BTW, Fir is also used for studwood. Red and Scotch Pine may be (not sure
about that) but not White because it is too weak.
I wonder if T. columba can also feed on Poplar. Scads ot that went over
in 2010; e.g. 25-30 trees within sight of where I was working.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hebda, Andrew J" <HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 6:10 AM
Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Horntails again
> Hi David
>
> Have been getting a bump in horntail referals at the Museum during the
> last month.
>
> - mostly Tremex columba. They seem to be associated with relatively solid
> wood... another of those mechanical decomposers that are early on in the
> decomposition process. Had a couple referred last year that emerged from
> freshly milled stud-wood ... taken from some salvage harvested timber
> (post fire).
> So those would have been, I assume, spruce/pine.
>
> Andrew
>
> A Hebda
> NSM Collections (Zoology)
>
>
>
> ________________________________________
> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] on
> behalf of David & Alison Webster [dwebster@glinx.com]
> Sent: September-19-12 9:51 PM
> To: NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca; Hebda, Andrew J
> Subject: [NatureNS] Horntails again
>
> Hi All, Sept 19, 2012
> On Sept 17, while working in North Alton within 30 paces of the Sept 13
> Horntail, I saw three Horntails (or perhaps one Horntail 3 times). These
> were all flying so I saw just enough for general ID; no color and just a
> glinting of polished wings and fairly weak flight. I don't recall having
> seen them elsewhere in these woods in a span of 31 years so wonder if this
> little patch has some special attraction.
>
> This site is a bit unusual; a seepy slope with Sphagnum in the low
> areas and shallow rooted trees that tend to fall over, but especially the
> deep accumulation of windfalls at all stages of decomposition from early
> decay to readily compressed sponge.
>
> I could not find anything about wood preferences on the internet and am
> wondering if they prefer fairly rotten wood that is soft enough to allow
> easy insertion of the ovipositor.
>
> Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----
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>
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