#2648 "Singleton Pileated Plate"

#2648 "Singleton Pileated Plate"
14x11 inches oil

The twin stems of these ash trees can be found on the north side of the Singleton Ridge. The pileated woodpeckers had turned the one stem into a pile of chips. I suspect that the larvae of the invasive emerald ash borer were on the menu. These trees were well beyond saving but at least they provided a hearty meal for the pileated woodpeckers. I also saw the patterns within the scene and I thought I could turn this unusual subject matter into something quite interesting. Everything in this scene is a triangle of sorts. 

The emerald ash borer was native to north-eastern Asia but has spread across North America. The emerald ash borer feeds on ash species. Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed underneath the bark of ash trees to emerge as adults in one to two years. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was first discovered in Michigan in 2002. 

Emerald Ash Borer larvae feed in tunnels just below an ash tree's bark. These tunnels disrupt water and nutrient transport, causing branches, and eventually the entire tree, to die. Adult beetles leave distinctive D-shaped exit holes in the outer bark of the branches and the trunk. Other signs of infestation include tree canopy dieback, yellowing and extensive sprouting from the roots and trunk. 

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