Question
I have recently had a Bradford pear in my  yard struck by lightening. When chopping up the part fell down I noticed a group of bugs in the center of the tree.  They are long and black, with what appears to be some sort of pincher or claws (I am sorry for the truly unprofessional description). Can you help w/ identification, the things I have seen over the web they don't look like Shothole beetles.

Thanks

Answer
Sounds like a Betsy beetle. They do not cause any damage nut feed on decaying wood. Sounds like the tree was wounded and a decay fungi entered and has decayed the woody cells and the beetle was able to enter the wound and lays its eggs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passalidae