On Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:47:34 -0000, shazzbat
wrote:

I dug up this handsome specimen this morning. The top of it is black, or
very dark brown. I haven't come across this one before, anyone know what
it is?

http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t282/shazzbat3/


Initial thought is that it is the _larval stage_ of a beetle, probably one
of the many species of staphylinidae ('staph' or rove beetle) a very good
predator of garden pests.

--
rbel