Topic: Wood-boring insects

[Georgie]

Something - probably a beetle? - has bored three small holes (but quite deep judging by the amount of sawdust) in a decaying branch of Jasmine in my garden.  This is in the wildlife area so I am perfectly content to leave it be but I just wondered if anyone knew what insect it is likely to be and whether it is a 'goody' or a 'baddy'.  Thanks in anticipation.

G x

[GrannieAnnie]

We have carpenter bees in our area that drill a perfect dime-sized hole about the size of the tip of the little finger. Very destructive BEEsties. Carpenter ants also do a job.

[ipt8]

It could well be some type of wood wasp. These look horrendous to some, are very large and often resemble wasps in colour. They do not have a sting but a huge ovi-depositer to lay eggs, which is the bit that scares people. They do no harm.

[ipt8]

Just had another thought, it could be a beetle boring out rather thann in, like the dutch elm disease beetle.

[Georgie]

I saw one yesterday.  It was black and a good centimetre long.  It had a very destinctive head, thorax and abdomen and looked like a large ant.  It flew off pretty quickly before I could grab the camera.  Could this be a carpenter ant as mentioned by Grannie Annie?

G x

[Robert_Brenchley]

Not if it flew off like that. But ants are related to wasps and bees.