re: Paging tree experts and help with bug ID

The number of wood boring beetles and other insects, some that have a broad range of host trees, out there is more than you'd ever imagine. Generally, if it is a native species they aren't much threat. The tree evolved alongside them, as did other insects such as parasitic wasps which act as a check on the beetle population.

Here's what I've seen just in the past few weeks around my place:

Red-headed Ash Borer:

Banded Hickory Borer:

Red-Necked Cane Borer Beetle:


And these two last year:

Ivory Marked Borer:

Maple Callus Borer Moth:


And here a couple of parasitic wasps I've seen lately that target these type borers:




If you hang around and watch long enough you would probably see similar small wasps fly up to the holes, inspect them, and use the long ovipositor (what looks like a stinger) to deposit an egg in the hole. That egg will hatch and feed on the borer larvae, stopping it from doing damage to the tree. That's one of the checks to wood boring pests that Nature has.

ETA: The first wasp is a native North American species that has shown promise in parisitising the invasive Emerald Ash Borer. That's important because the big problem with non-native invasives is that native species don't recognize them as prey.