What on earth is this?

[brainfarmer]

id be going for a ground dwelling beetle why not keep it in a container as its a metomorphic it wont be feeding so u can wait until it becomes an adult.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Susie

Edit - since posting the above I have done a bit of reading up and it does appear to be some kind of grasshopper (or something similar) which has just hatched from its egg case (see far right corner).

Whoops, hadn't noticed that - if that's a pupal case then it isn't a grasshopper. The case looks rather like a butterfly's - but the animal doesn't Doesn't look too much like a beetle either. No sign of wings .... no, I give up! Do let us know what transpires ....

[Susie]

No, I think you are correct and I was wrong that is a shed skin rather than a chrysalis.

Whatever it is, or was, will remain a mystery as I went to get "it" to put it in a jar and it was covered in ants and there were only bits remaining. Ho hum.

I think there are signs of wings. If you look closely there is (what appears to me to be) a narrow pointy wing at the mid section.

[eucera]

It could well be a bee pupa (perhaps something like Anthidium male), and it has been pitched out of its cocoon.

Look at the tail end of the beastie and you will see 3 broad spines (as in Anthidium). Early spring species tend to overwinter as adults in their cocoons, but later species overwinter as full grown larvae, which then pupate before emerging in May (or later)

[Susie]

Apologies, eucera, for the delay in thanking you for your reply.

[nightshade]

I am pretty sure it is the pupae of a Vine Weevil

[Susie]

Eeek! Don't you dare say that!

[Susie]

Eeek! Don't you dare say that!