Boring worm in Eucalyptus wood

[Ayatollah]

While attempting to split some eucalyptus wood today, I ran across some white, fairly stout boring worms. They had a peculiar shape at one end, and could stretch a bit while still maintaining thickness. They had bored into the wood a little ways, and not just the bark. this wood was cut about 5 months ago, and is still pretty green inside. Should I be concerned about having brought these guys home?

 

[jefflovstrom]

Does it look like this?
Jeff

 

[Ayatollah]

Does it look like this?
Jeff

Yes it does. I took a pic or two also:

 

[jefflovstrom]

You have Eucalyptus long-horned borer's in your wood. Do you have euc's on your property?
Jeff

 

[Ayatollah]

You have Eucalyptus long-horned borer's in your wood. Do you have euc's on your property?
Jeff

No, I've got redwoods, cherry, lemon, and orange. The wood came from another guy locally who decided to cut down just about all of his seemingly healthy trees on his property line. I was just getting free firewood from him

 

[beastmaster]

That is the reason why some areas prohibit the removal of Eucalyptus wood(Oakland comes to mind). The movement of firewood from one area to another is a major vector pathway for the spread of all types of borers. You often see infested and dyeing trees around woodyards. If you don't have no Euc's near by you should be o.k. If you do you can wrap the wood in clear plastic(the whole pile)for a few months. The summer heat will kill them.
Come the warming weather they'll be big ugly flying beetles.

 

[Ayatollah]

Turns out these little buggers have really drilled there way into the walnut wood that I got last summer. We're burning some of that now, and so much of it is full of holes, dust, and trails, not to mention a few of the worms too.
Guess they're not just eucalyptus borers after all

 

[beastmaster]

I was under the impression the longhorn beetle was pretty species specific. Walnuts have their own borer(s). Have you actually seen a longhorn beetle or larva inside a walnut? Lots of borers in the larva stage look alike to us untrained observers. If I am wrong I stand corrected. But I would bet money its two different creatures.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Hear ya Beast, they are and not only that, refer to the OP's 1st post.
Splitting euc!
Maybe he is trying to call me out. I am here,
Jeff

 

[Ayatollah]

I was under the impression the longhorn beetle was pretty species specific. Walnuts have their own borer(s). Have you actually seen a longhorn beetle or larva inside a walnut? Lots of borers in the larva stage look alike to us untrained observers. If I am wrong I stand corrected. But I would bet money its two different creatures.

I did not look that closely at them but yes I did see some in there. I'll try and get a picture of one. At first glance, one that I saw looked quite like the one in the Gum tree wood, but as you say, There may be a distinction I haven't seen yet

 

[Ayatollah]

Hear ya Beast, they are and not only that, refer to the OP's 1st post.
Splitting euc!
Maybe he is trying to call me out. I am here,
Jeff

Heavens no. I'm your basic bumpkin on this subject

 

[Ayatollah]

So I split up some of that walnut today, and was able to get some pics of the infesting bugs. They look exacly as the ones in the original post from the eucalyptus wood. So are the worms that close in look, but different in some other, unnoticable manner to the untrained observer?

 

[beastmaster]

Yes, that looks just like a number of flat headed borers, that are found through out treedom. I am sure there are ways to tell them a part, but it's subtle at best.

UC IPM: UC Management Guidelines for Pacific Flatheaded Borer on Walnut

Here is some info on one that is found in walnut trees.