California And Giant Sequoias

This reminds me of some of the insects (many spp. found but role of most seems to be little known) that play a role in the life of giant sequoias: Sequoiadendron cones remain green on the tree for many years without releasing seeds. The cerambycid Phymatodes nitidus:

(photo by Joyce Gross)
is one of a number of organisms aiding in seed dispersal. The larva's burrowing, and feeding activities sever enough of the tiny vessels transporting water to the cone scales, they shrink as part of the cone dries, and seed release follows. The larva feed on the flesh of the cone but seem to leave feeding on the flesh but seem to leave the seeds (~200 seeds/ cone). This has been described by Ronald E. Stecker (Ch. 6-7 in Harvey, Shellhammer, & Stecker. 1980. Giant Sequoia Ecology - Fire and Reproduction. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, NPS; also Hartesfeldt, Harvey, Shellhammer, & Stecker. 1975. The Giant Sequoia of the Sierra Nevada. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, NPS).
Those books were among my early resources for interpreting the ecology of the Giant Sequoias when guiding European visitors.
Some other insects, with various raltionships to the trees - just to mention a few with photos on BG & other sites:
The Scarab Dichelonyx vicina
The Curculionoid Apion sp. (probably not those pictured)
The Bostrichid beetle Scobicia declivis
5 spp. of Leafhoppers, incl. Idiocerus nervatus
As many as 100 of the Bombyliid fly Villa alternata were observed flying about the crown of the Castro tree.
For those interested in the long list, I just found an NPS page taken from the Appendix of Harvey, Shellhammer, and Stecker (1980, op. cit):
Insects associated with Giant Sequoias

I would love to go there. If I weren't afraid of heights, I would love to climb up and see the gardens in the trees.

It's just remarkable that around 85% of the Sequoia population was cut down by logging. Check out National Geographic for an issue on the trees. They also made a companion TV special for it. Really awesome.