U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) Entomologist Beverly Bulaon searches for pine bark beetles burrowed in dead Ponderosa pine trees in the Sequoia National Forest, near Posey, CA, on Wednesday, August 24, 2016.
Drought conditions have weakened the tree’s ability to expel the increased number of these boring beetles. Several types of beetles live in these trees during its natural lifecycle; some are beneficial while beetles such as this can kill the tree. Brown needles and downward limbs easily identify these dead pine trees. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Original public domain image from Flickr