The "What is this bug?" thread

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,893
2,145
Mercia
Any chance of an ID on this pupa? I have found several of these shallowly burried in loose soil in Lincolnshire


Pupa 2 by British Red, on Flickr


Pupa by British Red, on Flickr

I included the pound coin for scale

Moth pupa of some sort? Perhaps crane fly?
 
Last edited:

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
18
Scotland
It's leatherjacket pupae I'm pretty sure, turns into daddy longlegs

It's been a good year for them, their numbers are way up. Luckily the starlings love them, what they're usually after on a lawn. The larvae can do in your grass though.
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
On the small moth, I'm going to bail out by saying it is one of the micro moths (which it is) and that they are a specialist and difficult group that I can't do. I have pictures of similar-ish species, but nothing that I could identify that matches the picture.

Leatherjackets do turn into cranflies, otherwise know as daddy longlegs, but daddy longlegs is a term that gets applied to at least three groups of invertebrates, so is not that helpful.
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
18
Scotland
On the small moth, I'm going to bail out by saying it is one of the micro moths (which it is) and that they are a specialist and difficult group that I can't do. I have pictures of similar-ish species, but nothing that I could identify that matches the picture.

Leatherjackets do turn into cranflies, otherwise know as daddy longlegs, but daddy longlegs is a term that gets applied to at least three groups of invertebrates, so is not that helpful.

Had never heard the Harvestman or Cellar spider called Daddy longlegs before, only the Crane fly (most folk look at you blankly when you say Crane fly). Maybe it's a regional thing. Is it a common thing in Wales? Or is there a Welsh name for them?
 
Last edited:

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
I don't know if it is a regional thing. Yes, harvestmen and the house spider Pholcus phalangioides are sometimes referred to as daddy longlegs, but usually it does mean craneflies.
 
Feb 15, 2011
3,860
2
Elsewhere
I'm pretty sure your pupa is a moth BR. there are a lot of moths that have similar pupae such the Tiger Moth for example. so it's difficult to name the species...........If you give it a gentle squeeze the pointy end should twirl.
 
Last edited:

daveO

Native
Jun 22, 2009
1,459
525
South Wales
One of many spiders that are everywhere in the garden at the moment.

P1100664_zpsbb1bc0c7.jpg
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE