is this a pupa?

[Toby]

2.5cm long attached to a statue at ground level

[JRsbugs]

Hi Toby, couldn't be sure but it looks like a partly dried slug to me. Perhaps it wanted a fitting memorial?

Janet

[Toby]

that looks right- you can see the mantle - my mistake

[Davy Crockett]

any ideas on its demise, it crawled up there, was caught by frost and is slowly drying out.

[JRsbugs]

I had wondered if it got caught out by frost, but that doesn't seem reasonable to me. They seem to have the sense to stay under cover when needed.

There are parasites which lay their eggs on/in slugs and snails, flies for one.

[Jason Green]

Tetanocera elata (T. elata) is one - a snail-killing fly. One suspect! This may be the case if it's been there for some time, not too sure though as it may be too cold for T. elata now!!

A dead, dry slug was my first thought - Brown slug [Black form] Arion ater, maybe - a little thin as it's dry??

[JRsbugs]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Tetanocera elata (T. elata) is one - a snail-killing fly. One suspect! This may be the case if it's been there for some time, not too sure though as it may be too cold for T. elata now!!

A dead, dry slug was my first thought - Brown slug [Black form] Arion ater, maybe - a little thin as it's dry??

I don't know that much about them Jason, but I had Tetanocera hyalipennis on the 12th October on my Ivy. The eggs would need some time to develop before making the slug unable to continue living.