Not a gardener, but encountered an interesting soil dweller

[Scott L]

Hello all,

I'm not a "gardener" in the passionate sense, but I do work in my back
yard out of necessity. I live in Portland, Oregon, to give you an idea
of the climate and latitude. I was yesterday pulling up some unwanted
grass from between the elements of a stone walkway when I noticed a
bizarre (to me) creature in the soil, apparently living either within
the grass roots or just below them in the soil.

This guy was about a half inch to maybe an inch in length, a quarter
inch wide, deep rusty brown in color, round in cross section, with a
worm-like "head" which was articulated (jointed) and which probed
slowly back and forth. No eyes, feelers, or other sense organs to
speak of, and no visible mouth, although I'm sure it must have one.

At first I thought it was, in fact, a worm, or rather the head of a
worm which I had unfortunately ripped from the body by my grass
pulling. But soon I found another, identical in form, and realized it
was a complete organism.

A good comparison would be like a bullet in a cartridge, with the
articulated "head" being the bullet, which seemed to be sheathed in
the main body or skeleton of the creature (the cartridge).

Can anybody tell me what this thing might be? I'm fascinated by it for
some reason.

Thanks a bunch,
Scott L

[Charlie[_2_]]

On 30 May 2007 20:48:30 -0700, Scott L > wrote:

>Hello all,
>
>I'm not a "gardener" in the passionate sense, but I do work in my back
>yard out of necessity. I live in Portland, Oregon, to give you an idea
>of the climate and latitude. I was yesterday pulling up some unwanted
>grass from between the elements of a stone walkway when I noticed a
>bizarre (to me) creature in the soil, apparently living either within
>the grass roots or just below them in the soil.
>
>This guy was about a half inch to maybe an inch in length, a quarter
>inch wide, deep rusty brown in color, round in cross section, with a
>worm-like "head" which was articulated (jointed) and which probed
>slowly back and forth. No eyes, feelers, or other sense organs to
>speak of, and no visible mouth, although I'm sure it must have one.
>
>At first I thought it was, in fact, a worm, or rather the head of a
>worm which I had unfortunately ripped from the body by my grass
>pulling. But soon I found another, identical in form, and realized it
>was a complete organism.
>
>A good comparison would be like a bullet in a cartridge, with the
>articulated "head" being the bullet, which seemed to be sheathed in
>the main body or skeleton of the creature (the cartridge).
>
>Can anybody tell me what this thing might be? I'm fascinated by it for
>some reason.
>
>Thanks a bunch,
>Scott L


RUN !!!!!!!!!!

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Scott L wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I'm not a "gardener" in the passionate sense, but I do work in my back
> yard out of necessity. I live in Portland, Oregon, to give you an idea
> of the climate and latitude. I was yesterday pulling up some unwanted
> grass from between the elements of a stone walkway when I noticed a
> bizarre (to me) creature in the soil, apparently living either within
> the grass roots or just below them in the soil.
>
> This guy was about a half inch to maybe an inch in length, a quarter
> inch wide, deep rusty brown in color, round in cross section, with a
> worm-like "head" which was articulated (jointed) and which probed
> slowly back and forth. No eyes, feelers, or other sense organs to
> speak of, and no visible mouth, although I'm sure it must have one.
>
> At first I thought it was, in fact, a worm, or rather the head of a
> worm which I had unfortunately ripped from the body by my grass
> pulling. But soon I found another, identical in form, and realized it
> was a complete organism.
>
> A good comparison would be like a bullet in a cartridge, with the
> articulated "head" being the bullet, which seemed to be sheathed in
> the main body or skeleton of the creature (the cartridge).
>
> Can anybody tell me what this thing might be? I'm fascinated by it for
> some reason.
>
> Thanks a bunch,
> Scott L
>

seems like a beetle larvae of some type.

I dunno

Carl


--
to reply, change ( .not) to ( .net)

[beecrofter]

On May 30, 11:48 pm, Scott L > wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I'm not a "gardener" in the passionate sense, but I do work in my back
> yard out of necessity. I live in Portland, Oregon, to give you an idea
> of the climate and latitude. I was yesterday pulling up some unwanted
> grass from between the elements of a stone walkway when I noticed a
> bizarre (to me) creature in the soil, apparently living either within
> the grass roots or just below them in the soil.
>
> This guy was about a half inch to maybe an inch in length, a quarter
> inch wide, deep rusty brown in color, round in cross section, with a
> worm-like "head" which was articulated (jointed) and which probed
> slowly back and forth. No eyes, feelers, or other sense organs to
> speak of, and no visible mouth, although I'm sure it must have one.
>
> At first I thought it was, in fact, a worm, or rather the head of a
> worm which I had unfortunately ripped from the body by my grass
> pulling. But soon I found another, identical in form, and realized it
> was a complete organism.
>
> A good comparison would be like a bullet in a cartridge, with the
> articulated "head" being the bullet, which seemed to be sheathed in
> the main body or skeleton of the creature (the cartridge).
>
> Can anybody tell me what this thing might be? I'm fascinated by it for
> some reason.
>
> Thanks a bunch,
> Scott L

Sounds like a pupae of some sort- egg, larvae, pupae, adult- the
pupae being where they go from grub or maggot like- to adult. Perhaps
a stag beetle or similar

[Kay Lancaster]

On 30 May 2007 20:48:30 -0700, Scott L > wrote:
>
> This guy was about a half inch to maybe an inch in length, a quarter
> inch wide, deep rusty brown in color, round in cross section, with a
> worm-like "head" which was articulated (jointed) and which probed
> slowly back and forth. No eyes, feelers, or other sense organs to
> speak of, and no visible mouth, although I'm sure it must have one.

Any resemblence (these are probably not the same one you found!) to:
http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/coleop.htm ?

Kay

[Scott L]

On May 31, 6:34 am, Janet Baraclough >
wrote:
> Moth pupa. Some moths pupate underground, strange as it may seem :-)
>
> Janet

That looks an awful lot like it. Maybe not exactly the same species,
but real close. Thanks! That site looks like a good time waster. :-)

Scott

[beecrofter]

On May 31, 9:59 pm, Scott L > wrote:
> On May 31, 6:34 am, Janet Baraclough >
> wrote:
>
> > Moth pupa. Some moths pupate underground, strange as it may seem :-)
>
> > Janet
>
> That looks an awful lot like it. Maybe not exactly the same species,
> but real close. Thanks! That site looks like a good time waster. :-)
>
> Scott

Yeah I agree, now that I look at pupal cases and such that are laying
about, moth seems to fit better than beetle.