The message
from "NikV" contains these words:

I've noticed a few odd holes in my close cropped lawn over the past few
days. This morning I was woken up to a large (50+) flock of starlings
probing the lawn, upon closer inspection large areas of the lawn
appeared to
have sprouted 30mm high spikes (3-4mm diameter) which appear to be
crysalis(sp?) cases no sign of the emerged 'imago', are these mayfiles???
and do they 'hatch' in large numbers together or has some enviromental
factor triggered this??

The starlings are doing you a favour and ridding you of leatherjackets
and their pupae. They munch on grass roots.

They're daddy-long-legs / crane flies. Mayflies hatch from water: aka
caddis fly, the grubs make a protective jacket of débris and carry it
about. May be of grass, reed, and twig detritus, or small pebbles and
bits of shell.

I used to catch loads of them when I was an anklebiter, to observe in a
goldfish bowl. (The grubs, not me.)

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
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