A Professional Opinion

 Time pressures and a threatening sky kept me from bringing my camera out with me today, so of course I saw a cool bug as I was heading out for a walk in the woods. 

Backyard Bug of the Day:

This wasp is similar to one that was Backyard Bug of the Day last week, but a lot bigger. I compared the pictures, and this one is different in key ways (other than being bigger), specifically the color of the antennae and the legs. So, I am pretty sure it's a different species. It was crawling around on this plant rather clumsily. It looks like there's something wrong with its wing, but it's hard to tell. I love blue wings.

Now, some news that has made me very sad. I heard back from the state entomologist about the emerald ash borer, and I can sum up his email in just one line from it: "There isn't anything you can do." The emerald ash borer is all over the state now, mitigation efforts have begun and are apparently going to be effective when they are established (parasitic wasps that are "specific to EAB" have been introduced), but unless I have a specific tree with a newer infestation and can afford to hire an arborist for an apparently lengthy process of saving it, there's nothing I can do about the EAB being in my woods. I will admit, I am much worse at identifying trees that I am insects, and you know how bad I am at identifying insects. I don't know which trees are ash trees, and I have about 35 acres of woods. And even if I could afford to pay someone to save my trees, then what? This insect is all over the state. From what I have heard, there may be no ash trees left in the state within a few years. I feel so useless; we bought the woods because we wanted to protect them, and between invasive plants, drought, and now invasive insects, we are failing. We can't protect the woods. We are helpless against these enemies. Out of 126 billion acres of land on the planet I just wanted to be able to protect these 35, my tree sanctuary, and I am helpless against a tiny insect. I know, the emerald ash borer won't kill the whole forest (although the spotted lantern fly could if it shows up), but I feel defeated right now. I sent the entomologist the picture I took:

As bad as this picture is, a blurry phone shot of a squashed bug, he said he is pretty sure it is an emerald ash borer. I saw it before it was squashed. I know that's what it was. And all I can say is, I hope the ants that carried away the carcass made a jolly feast of it. And if any of my trees are killed off by the EABs, at least they will return to the earth and nourish it, and something else will grow up in their place. Hopefully not something invasive.