On Thursday, July 14th, as Martha and I were leaving Westwood by the west end door, we found a very large beetle, dead on the sidewalk. Curious about its identity, I took photos of it, which I emailed to my source of obscure knowledge, Fred Schueler, my son-in-law in Bishops Mills, Ontario.These were forwarded to daughter, Aleta, who sent them on to her friend Joyce C., a collaborating researcher at Carleton University in Ottawa, Joyce has identified the beetle as "probably Prionus californicus Motschulsky". Its common name is California Root Borer.

 It is a large beetle, approximately 7 CM long. Adult males are more mobile than females, flying considerable distances to find mates. Females exude a pheromone to attract the males. The flying beetles are often attracted to lights and our four-storey  building at Westwood Retirement Resort is well lighted.

The life cycle of this beetle from egg to adult requires about 3 years for completion. Therefore, if someone planted larvae-infested root stock, the adults could be expected to appear some two years later. I am thinking of a possible scenario for introduction of the parasite into new areas. A quick search of internet references has revealed only one report previously from this area,:  see http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2014/08/20/california-root-borer-7/ 

The burrowing larvae of this beetle damage a wide variety of tree species, including cherry trees and grape vines. Therefore, it could be an important concern for this area. Washington State University has an excellent online site describing this beetle, its life history and its importance to the fruit growing industry: http://jenny.tfrec.wsu.edu/opm/displayspecies.php?pn=643