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Project Noah Nature School
Cotinis sp.
Large creepy crawlie larva. Six orangish and inadequate legs that cannot support body. It keeps falling over and crawls on the back...have uploaded a video. Apparently they have bristles on the back that provide traction and help them move. Mouth looks adapted for serious chewing (photo 4). Translucent body. Spiracles clearly defined. Abdomen dark and distended with tracery of veins.
Popped out of a bag of organic cowdung manure for my potted plants and crawled all over my terrace.
The gardener who helps me said the cowdung heaps are their habitat...just found out this will grow up to be a destructive beetle. See the adult here: https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/15... All thanks for lively discussions, helpful hints and lots of info to my friends on PN.
Spotted on May 2, 2015
Submitted on May 2, 2015
14 Comments
vinthoel and DrNamgyalT.Sherpa. Thank you so much. It was quite by chance that I got to spot the grubs and the adult Rhinoceros beetle (quite unmistakable)...both for the first time. Thanks again.
Yes Sukanya, they're quite common in our place too. But your photos're fantastic!
i found such kind several time at my backyard. And feeding it for my 'hobbit' chicken. its traslucent body quite amazing
Oh! Thanks guys....Thank you Hema...lots of info ...you spent so much time ferreting out info for me. And Neil, what can I say...it was the ID you posted Rhinoceros beetle that made me rethink. THANKS a lot, both of you. Have a great Sunday.
PS: I also love the fact that you do research, and sent out a call for help when unsure. I try to do that too. I love the research part, particularly for unfamiliar species. Bug people may be able to give a 100% accurate ID, but at least we do the grunt work. Hema has also given heaps of information on a possible ID too, so the stage is set with some good potential ID's.
Hi Sukanya. Check out this link - http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/adap/ASCC_La... Look familiar? Oryctes rhinoceros - originally from Sri Lanka? I'm still trying to find it's native range. If you've found this fellow in the same bag as the adult beetle, chances are it's the same species - Oryctes rhinoceros. To confuse the issue, Xylotrupes gideon (my spotting) is also found in Southeast Asia, but your spotting of the adult beetle doesn't match this species. Cotinis sp. beetles seems to occur in the US, so, even though a contender, I would lean towards the Oryctes rhinoceros ID. Hope this helps. This has well awake on a sunday morning. Bring on the rest of the day :)
It is beneficial as a larva and also indicates that your manure is of healthy quality.These fig beetles are very pretty green.Hard to call them a pest even though they chow down on your fruit!!
Sukanya,excerpt from this link,
"You have Crawly-Backs in your compost pile. Crawly-Backs get that common name from their habit of propelling themselves through soil on their backs. Crawly-Backs are the larvae of the Green Fruit Beetle, commonly called the Figeater. Such a plentiful supply of Crawly-Backs is a sign that you have a healthy ecosystem in your compost pile and the organic materials are being broken down into usable nutrients for plants. The Crawly-Backs are beneficial in your compost pile and you can see this posting from our archives. When the adult Figeaters appear in August, they may eat your peaches or figs or other fruit, and if they are plentiful, they may cause some damage, but they are beautiful metallic green beetles of considerable size, and we would never think of them as a pest in our home garden. Quite the contrary, we love first hearing them buzzing and then enjoy seeing them as the fly about in a lumbering manner. They really are beautiful beetles and you can see images of adults in our archives. We cannot imagine that eating Crawly-Backs will harm your chickens, however, we are a bit reluctant to give chicken advice. We had a run of back luck last year with our own chickens, the Fuzzy Bottom Gals, though we are going to try raising chickens again this year after making sure we buy vaccinated stock."
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/category/bee...
Hema...thanks. This bag of manure was a biodiversity treasure trove. Can you confirm this is what I think it is...Neil Ross has spotted something uncannily similar and says it is grub of the Rhinoceros beetle. I saw an ADULT Rhinoceros beetle too from the same bag. Coincidence? Or Wrong ID on my part. Can you help? I have requested Neil too.Thanks.
I have no idea if they are the same species of beetle, but they sure look similar, Sukanya. I hope someone can help you with an ID for this creepy crawler :)
Sukanya,looks like it was ready to pupate. The ends look like the beginning?
Thanks Jae. Neil Ross has a similar spotting and I think my ID may be wrong...maybe this is the grub of the Rhinoceros beetle that tumbled out of the same bag. @Jae
Yeah it's a pretty creepy larva and those pincers look massive. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Jae, for not saying UGH....it is rather ugh looking isn't it? did you see the video?