On the Bois D’arc
We have this one particular Bois D’arc tree that just seems to attract the bugs. Every year I find lots of butterflies and other insects on it. The other Bois D’arc trees do not seem to have the same attraction.
Keep looking!
Welcome to my nature blog! I love sharing my photos of North Texas! I will keep looking out and hope you do too.
Comments welcome. Thank you, Mary
Click beetles are fun to play with. Nice pics
I never noticed them as a kid ;-( The firefly was the only insect I recall taking an interest in. You had a fun childhood.
I like all the insects pictured a lot. Those eyed click beetles are very cool, and all the varying shades of brown, gray and rust in the butterflies make such pretty combinations. Interesting about the attraction of that tree. Since sap is oozing from spots I wonder if it has a light borer infestation?
Interesting thought about the borer infestation. I guess we will see what happens. If it is how long will it take to kill the tree? Do you know?
I’m not sure that’s what it is – bois d’arc wood is so tough I don’t know if there are any borers that attack it. I was just trying to think of possible reasons why this one tree is so attractive to insects.
Suzanne, I looked it up and yes there are borers that do attack the Bois D’arc. Osage-orange trees are attacked by at least four stem borers: the mulberry borers (Doraschema wildii and D. alternatum) (4), the painted hickory borer (Megacyllene caryae), and the red-shouldered hickory borer (Xylobiops basilaris) (8) https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/maclura/pomifera.htm
I guess the borers are pretty tough too, eh! 🙂
That’s very interesting info, Mary. I’d forgotten that bois d’arc is in the same family as mulberry, which seems like a much weaker tree.
I would never have guess they were in the same family. And so I looked it up too 🙂 a very hard wood used for furniture building. Mulberry is used for expensive furniture in Japan. Also found that mulberry is banned from the city of Tucson since the early 80’s, these trees are no longer sold at garden centers. This tree is also banned from Phoenix, Las Vegas, Alburquerque, El Paso, and Las Cruces. Too much pollen they said. The things you learn on the internet.
Huh learned a lot from your bois d’arc link and what fun pictures!