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Wildlife Spotting

Photo by Mandy Hollman
Published on Project Noah
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33.9723, -83.575

Field Notes

Description:

Beetle larva, probably Tenebrionoidea
About an inch long and very rotund. No legs visible; could barely move itself. Continuously putting out light brown clumps of wood remains.

Habitat:

Rotting log on damp soil in a shady part of the woods. Found in a chamber of a termite colony, with lots of workers nearby.

Notes:

I initially thought this was a termite queen (Reticulitermes flavipes), since they look similar and it was found among termites.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (8)
Mandy Hollman
I know; I've found quite a few by accident while looking for termites to feed my mantids. This does look like them, but it also looks like some photos of termite queens. The brown things it's putting out do look more like excreted wood remains than eggs, though.
keithp2012
There are many beetle species that have grubs that eat and pupate in rotten wood.
ceherzog
Yeah,,,I think Keith might be right...but, it's still a real nice series of pictures.
rutasandinas
Wow gran acercamiento genial series demasiado detalle bien

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Wildlife of the South East, USA
Mission
Eggs of the World
Mission
Eggs of the Lowcountry
Mission
Wildlife of Georgia

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Photographed
PublishedApril 20, 2012

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