One seriously weird bug!

[capobay]

not sure whether to post

or !!!

My daughter found a larva of some kind buried in the earth. it is about an inch long perhaps a smidge longer and about 1/2cm thick so the general impression is that it's quite big.

It has 6 small legs up near the head. It's kind of grey white with the back end being blacker and almost seethrough at the surface. When held on a trowel it just kind of curls itself in various directions quite slowly to try to move, the legs seem a bit redundant!

We have never seen anything like it before. I have heard of larva exisitng underground before pupating but have No Clue what this might be.

In the interests of science we have put it in a plastic pot of earth with a lid with holes in so we can watch it but it has buried itself further in.

What have we got???? Please can anyone help? We would all be very grateful!

The Capobay Family

[Lance Morgan]

As you say it sounds like a moth larva trying to pupate or could be a beetle larva but i would expect these to be in dead wood. can you post a piccy?

[GuyF]

That sounds a lot like a Cockchafer (a.k.a. May Bug) larva to me, here's a photo of one from the Gallery by MTR.


Guy

[capobay]

thank you very very much!!

have googled cockchafers and yes that looks exactly like it. Learn something new every day? we have