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Project Noah Nature School
Segmented, aquatic larvae putting anal spiracles up for breathing. Around 30mm length. See the attached video to see how they navigate the puddle! I'm not sure if it is sifting through the sediment for food or what exactly is going on. Very cool stuff! Possibly tabanid fly larvae? I am unsure!
In a puddle of standing water with fine sediment from the dirt road and steep hillside nearby. Surrounded by dense mixed hardwood forest.
Spotted on Aug 19, 2017
Submitted on Aug 19, 2017
7 Comments
I have seen these before in GA! I was told they were solider fly larvae, so I think sonofives is correct
@sonofives I will have to do a closer inspection of one of these guys next time I am out there! Thank you for the genus tip. They look very similar.
Nice find! These resemble the larvae of flies in the Stratiomys genus, however I am not 100% sure
Sarah, my husband and I initially mistook them for leaves sticking up out of the surface of the puddle. I'm glad we took a second glance!
WOW!! The things we see in nature!! Really COOL, indeed!! :)
Thank you, Christine! It was a wonder to behold! I'm leaning towards tabanid fly larvae, but I'm not quite sure yet!
Very cool, love the video!