Grubs4895

These grubs -- beetle larvae -- were in a decomposing stump. They were quite large and became very active once the sun warmed them. We were amazed at how quickly birds noticed, came and plucked them out.

What kind of beetle were they? One of the many that are benign and helpful -- they did not cause the tree to die but are simply speeding its decomposition. More than that we cannot say, since the birds got them before we even thought, "Let's collect some, to let them pupate and then emerge as adults." Only the adults have the identifying marks that might lead to a species name.

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