Sap drips from a Mesquite Girdler Beetle Cut — Image by kenne
A small beetle plays a big role in shaping the desert landscape. The female mesquite girdler beetle chews a deep groove around the diameter of a mesquite stem, and the resulting girdle kills the stem beyond the groove, where she will lay her eggs. The larval offspring bores into the dying wood. Thus, this little beetle effectively prunes mesquite trees helping shape the desert landscape.
— kenne
Making art in America is about saving one’s soul.
— Charles Simic
Didn’t realize the importance of the beetle to the mesquite tree. They make such great wood for a cook out!