Maple, Ambrosia
Inventory:
4/4 (3/4"-15/16" thick)
8/4 (2" thick)
Description:
Ambrosia maple is very rare and has an unusually interesting story, as the amazing markings come from special Red Maple logs that have become home to families of Ambrosia beetles. The mother beetle bores into a live maple tree and carves galleries or nurseries for her babies. Unlike many nasty bugs, she doesn't eat the wood, she pushes the sawdust out of the hole. She also carries a special mold on her body, called Ambrosia mold, which she transfers to the walls of the nursery, and due to the high sugar content of maple, the mold grows as food for her young. As the baby beetles hatch and grow, they graze on the Ambrosia mold just like cows in a pasture. The pigments in the mold travel up and down the tree and leave an incredibly detailed and distinctive pattern. As the beetles mature, they fly out of the wood and go about their lives. There will be obvious round holes in the wood as the beetle completes it life cycle and flies off.