If you have a local garden center, take the grub into one or more of
them to see if they know what it is. I don't know if you have your
version of the USA's notion of a County Agricultural Extension Agent,
that are connected with universities, but if you do, they should be
able to help you identify them.

Other than that, libraries usually have insect books and some have
larva pictures along with the adult.

Good luck!

Janice

On Sun, 01 Feb 2004 23:27:19 GMT, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

I have no way to post a picture so I am sorry you will have to work from
1000 words as they say. I am in Australia where it is high summer, hot and
showery at present.

A grub that I have never seen before just stripped a fig plant in a pot.
All the leaves are reduced to paper thin lace, this took about 24 hrs for a
2ft (60cm) plant as it was fine beforehand.

The attackers are up to about 3/4in (18mm) long with segmented bodies and a
pair of legs on each segment I think, my eyesight is not that good, lots of
legs anyway. Each one has a similar number of segments, about 12. Some are
smaller and presumeably given enough food they would all grow bigger.

They are yellowish on the underside and dark grey/brown on top and somewhat
hairy. One end is blunt and seems to have black mouth parts, the other, the
tail I think, is slightly pointed. Oh where is my binocular microscope ....

As they appeared so quickly I assume they hatched recently and have grown
very fast. If you are able to identify the grub can you also tell me what
the adult looks like so I can keep an eye open for them.

David