A primula in a pot was wilting, so I tipped it out and found a couple of
grubs, larger than VW, grey-ey fawn, but most distinctive feature was a
long 'tail' as long as the grub itself. Any ideas?
--
Kay

"K" <k [at] scarboro.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Hj6WoRF3k+rEFwRB [at] scarboro.demon.co.uk...
> A primula in a pot was wilting, so I tipped it out and found a couple of
> grubs, larger than VW, grey-ey fawn, but most distinctive feature was a
> long 'tail' as long as the grub itself. Any ideas?
> --
> Kay
Bit puzzled by the term tail so this is a bit of a guess but may be one of
the cut worms aka swift moth caterpillars.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

Charlie Pridham <charlie.pridham [at] lineone.net> writes
>
>"K" <k [at] scarboro.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:Hj6WoRF3k+rEFwRB [at] scarboro.demon.co.uk...
>> A primula in a pot was wilting, so I tipped it out and found a couple of
>> grubs, larger than VW, grey-ey fawn, but most distinctive feature was a
>> long 'tail' as long as the grub itself. Any ideas?
>> --
>Bit puzzled by the term tail so this is a bit of a guess but may be one of
>the cut worms aka swift moth caterpillars.
>
No, not a moth larvae.

Sausage shaped thing, no visible legs or pseudo-legs, but from the back
end protruded a very fine hair like thing about the length of the grub
body.

--
Kay

On 9/7/06 11:40, in article Lx51chAl0NsEFwZt [at] scarboro.demon.co.uk, "K"
<k [at] scarboro.demon.co.uk> wrote:

<snip>
>
> Sausage shaped thing, no visible legs or pseudo-legs, but from the back
> end protruded a very fine hair like thing about the length of the grub
> body.

Try this, Kay: http://tinyurl.com/jfwym
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

Sacha <sacha [at] privacy.net> writes
>On 9/7/06 11:40, in article Lx51chAl0NsEFwZt [at] scarboro.demon.co.uk, "K"
><k [at] scarboro.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
><snip>
>>
>> Sausage shaped thing, no visible legs or pseudo-legs, but from the back
>> end protruded a very fine hair like thing about the length of the grub
>> body.
>
>Try this, Kay: http://tinyurl.com/jfwym

That's rat-tailed maggot and is almost exactly what it looks like. But
that is the larva of the drone fly (a hover fly that looks very like a
honey bee) and the larva lives in muddy polluted ponds - the 'tail' is a
breathing tube I believe. I keep my primulas moist, but not that moist!

But googling on 'rat tailed larva' throws up a few references to other
creatures, eg some crane flies, also having rat-tailed larvae, all
living in wettish areas, eg one of them lives in cavities where rotting
leaves have lodged and has the rat tail for periods of waterlogging.


--
Kay