Stone encased beetle larva?

[JRsbugs]

Hi,

I saw this wriggling about on the wall today, looks to be some sort of beetle larva. I'm guessing Staphylinidae but I really don't know!

Taken on 6th July (I put June under the pics!) on my brick wall. It appeared to be eating from the bricks. The encasing looks to be small stones from the old limestone mortar between the bricks, but the tail looks to be covered also in darker stones.

Length approx. 7mm

Janet

[charlieb]

I think what you have their is the larva of one of the Psychidae - a micro-moth

Doesn't look dissimilar to Luffia ferchaultella (UKMoths - Luffia ferchaultella) - but I would send your photos to micro-moth expert - they look good enough for a positive-ish ID

[JRsbugs]

Originally Posted by charlieb

I think what you have their is the larva of one of the Psychidae - a micro-moth

Doesn't look dissimilar to Luffia ferchaultella (UKMoths - Luffia ferchaultella) - but I would send your photos to micro-moth expert - they look good enough for a positive-ish ID

Thanks Charlie, I had thought of a moth but the head looked more like a beetle. It does look a good match to me too!

I will send the pics to the local recorder, he should know who to send them to if he doesn't know it himself. I checked the nbn and the closest record is in Cambridge near Newmarket, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been recorded here. Same goes for the Horse Chestnut moth which I have.

I'll have to see if I can see it again and get a ladder up for slightly closer shots.

[JRsbugs]

I looked yesterday but couldn't see it, today it's there again in about the same place. I got a chair to stand on, bringing me to eye level but it's not moving just now, has itself stuck into a small niche at the edge of a brick.

I imagine at some time it will feed, and I might get more pics but looking at those I got they are no too bad. At the moment it's raining again, having an occasional sunny outburst. That means I had to bring the chair in!

I sent the pics to the recorder two days ago but haven't heard from him yet, I imagine he's busy.

[JRsbugs]

I got a reply as follows:

Your case is Luffia ferchaultella it has been recorded in both north and south Lincolnshire but there are not many records, you did well to spot it.