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Couldn't get it posted in once.

Yesterday I found 2 males of Ch. piger at 2 different localities in Den Treek near Amersfoort. A big surprise, since these are about the 4th and 5th found ever in the Netherlands. One on a healthy Pine (Pinus sylvestris), the other on a harvested stem of Douglass (Pseudotsuga).

The species resembles B. lenta, however, the thorax is dull and the hind femora are clearly thicker. The tip of the abdomen is red, though the very tip might be darkened.

In Belgium, more and more Ch. piger have been found the last 20 years, so we should be on the lookout in NL. The species will fly all of june. Any darker duller 'xylota' on a coniferous tree is suspect.

Theo Zeegers