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Post by andy on Apr 18, 2009 8:52:26 GMT
Anyone got any suggestions as to what this creature could be. It was about 6" deep in one of last years bedding tubs and i found it as i was replacing the compost. at first, i thought it was a giant leatherjacket but it's far too big. Could it be a queen bee or hornet or something....it has huge pincer things at the front and small hairs on the head area of it's body. No legs were apparent and it started moving when i bought it indoors. I would imagine it would be about 1.5 - 2" when fully unwound !!!!  |
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Post by beanie on Apr 18, 2009 8:58:52 GMT
I wonder if it's a chafer grub, maybe better known as mayflies. ugly little beasties .
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Post by Rosefriend on Apr 18, 2009 9:07:23 GMT
I think it could possibly be a Chafer grub as well, although they tend to have legs...  They stay in the ground for 4 years and more before changing into beetles. We have loads here in Germany. This is the May beetle but there are others chafer beetles as well.  RF |
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Post by andy on Apr 18, 2009 9:25:07 GMT
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Post by andy on Apr 18, 2009 9:31:27 GMT
Looking through my RHS P&D book, i think i've got had a very fat chafer grub....probably grown up near sellafield and blown over this way  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Apr 18, 2009 9:37:42 GMT
Every year I get some Chafer Beetles, like the one above, crawling out of the ground next to my Hemerocallis. This has happened for the last 10 years or so - I am not sure what they are feeding on as the Day Lily is always magnificent...
I would love to know how it got in the tub Andy, unless it was in the soil to start with, or as you say it blew over from Sellafield.
I take it you have disposed of it???
RF
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Post by beanie on Apr 18, 2009 9:38:08 GMT
I was going to suggest it may be interesting to keep it in a jar of garden soil and see what happens
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Post by andy on Apr 18, 2009 9:50:37 GMT
I threw it into the school field behind the garden...it can take it's chances with the birds in there !!!
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Post by Ruthie on Apr 18, 2009 16:52:44 GMT
I find loads of chafer grubs in the front garden. They apparantly prefer undisturbed soil which is why I guess they're said to like turf. I don't think they do much harm do they? Except the adults camn't fly very well and tend to fly into you which can hurt!!
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Post by Rosefriend on Apr 18, 2009 17:38:52 GMT
There are different ones, but as far as damage is concerned Ruthie they can eat whole parts of a forest clean of leaves - we have see it...the larvae can do a lot of damage also.
My OH that used to live, as a child, in Eastern Germany, saw many many trees eaten bare by the May beetles. As a kid my OH collected them to feed the chickens.
I have seen trees just full of them - the noise is incredible as they eat their way through everything.
RF
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Post by Amo on Apr 18, 2009 18:06:14 GMT
There are usually three. The diddy ones are the vine weevil, the middle ones are the chaffer beetles and the big daddies are the stag beetles. Then to add to the melting pot stag beetles also have a lesser variety and the female larva are different again. This site has pictures of them and the chaffers too. www.woodland-trust.org.uk/ancient-tree-forum/atfnews/images/stagbeetles.pdf |
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Post by Chuckles on Apr 19, 2009 3:54:26 GMT
I threw it into the school field behind the garden...it can take it's chances with the birds in there !!! Best thing for it Andy  |
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Post by Amo on Apr 19, 2009 18:30:48 GMT
Not if it was a Stag beetle  |
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Apr 20, 2009 3:31:28 GMT
I think it was an alien me...
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Post by Amo on Apr 20, 2009 9:17:02 GMT
Is that what an alien you looks like?
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