Ambrosia beetles

19 January 2017. Tim Smith, of Murphys California, collected these ambrosia beetles on his window sill. He had been burning oak firewood, and the ambrosia beetles emerged early. Interestingly, there was a leafhopper assassin bug handy to eat as many as it could get. Thanks to Beverly Bulaon for help with the beetle identification, and to Dr. Lynn Kimsey for help with the Zelus identification.

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Assassin bug, genus Zelus, probably Zelus renardii, the leafhopper assassin bug, eating bark beetles it is finding on a window sill. Photo by Tim Smith, Murphys, California. 21 January 2017. Thanks to Dr. Lynn Kimsey for the ID.