Red-femured Flower Borer

Found in coniferous or mixed forests, often seen on dead or dying trees and on flowering plants.

Adults feed on pollen and nectar from flowers; larvae are wood-borers that feed on the decaying wood of coniferous trees like pine, spruce, and balsam fir.

Diurnal insects most active in mid to late summer. Adults are frequent flower visitors, while females lay eggs in the crevices of dead bark. The larvae spend one to two years developing inside the wood.

No risk to humans as they do not bite or sting. They provide ecological benefits by assisting in the decomposition of dead wood and acting as pollinators for various wildflowers.