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Larva of leaf beetle

Chrysomelidae

Description:

Looks like a caterpillar. About 1,5 cm long. 6 strong legs. Covered with a kind of slime that looks like small brown worms or spaghetti. Found several same Individuals underneath a leaf together 5 a 6 species. Most where just hanging on the leaf,this one was on the move and act like normal caterpillar. Black head.

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19 Comments

KitchilPus
KitchilPus 6 years ago

Many thanks all for the comments and nice words.
Mark Ridgway - Felix Fleck - AntónioGinjaGinja -Marta RubioTexeira - SukanyaDatta - Vipul Ramanuj and Christine Y.

Very nice spotting KitchilPus,congrats on the well deserved SOTW and thanks for sharing

Felix Fleck
Felix Fleck 6 years ago

Well deserved SOTW! Congrats.

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 6 years ago

Congrats on the SOTW.

KitchilPus
KitchilPus 6 years ago

Thanks Cristine Y,only because off your info it get his/her ID this and chosen as SOTW.
Happy to share the spotting with you,and with members Project Noah.

Christine Y.
Christine Y. 6 years ago

Congratulations KitchilPus on SOTW for this awesome spotting!

DanielePralong
DanielePralong 6 years ago

Congratulations KitchilPus! Your leaf beetle larva with its defense shield has been voted Spotting of the Week! We love this spotting for its careful documentation and all the educational and appreciative comments from our community.

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/pho...

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/9...

AshleyT
AshleyT 6 years ago

Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!

Christine Y.
Christine Y. 6 years ago

Happy to help :). I had an entomology professor in grad school who delighted in teaching us about exceptionally unusual insects, and feces-wearing larvae particularly stuck in my mind.

The MnMs
The MnMs 6 years ago

I was thinking that it was fecal matter but I did not know it was actually a defence mechanism. Wow! Thanks for sharing this knowledge with us😊

KitchilPus
KitchilPus 6 years ago

SukanyaDatta , you welcome.

KitchilPus
KitchilPus 6 years ago

Thanks again Christine,learn new facts again.Amazing nature,interrested readings also the links attached.
Thanks for that.

SukanyaDatta
SukanyaDatta 6 years ago

Learnt about fecal-shields for the first time. Thank you, KitchilPus for sharing the spotting and Christine Y for the links. Mother Nature is awesome...PN is too :)

Christine Y.
Christine Y. 6 years ago

Not sure the species, but it does appear to be a beetle larva carrying a fecal defense shield, aka a scatopillar.

Christine Y.
Christine Y. 6 years ago

You're welcome KitchilPus. Here are some links with pictures of larvae similar to yours: http://springfieldmn.blogspot.com/2013/1...
https://www.earthtouchnews.com/wtf/wtf/b...

Vipul Ramanuj
Vipul Ramanuj 6 years ago

Thanks for sharing this unique spotting!

KitchilPus
KitchilPus 6 years ago

Thanks for info Christine,really no idea about this.Found several like that one hanging underneath a leaf just restless.See picture other spotting.
Many thanks for feedback.

Christine Y.
Christine Y. 6 years ago

If it is a beetle larva, the gray stuff could be frass, which they sometimes "wear" to deter predation. Although, I've never seen frass look quite this gross...

Christine Y.
Christine Y. 6 years ago

Cool spotting, looks like it might be a beetle larva.

KitchilPus
Spotted by
KitchilPus

Dumaguete, Central Visayas, Philippines

Spotted on Oct 9, 2017
Submitted on Oct 10, 2017

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