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Dear All (and especially Chris, Dave McCorquodale or others who may have
applicable resources/experience), Nov 29, 2007
The 16-mm larva, fed on compost creatures grew to about 20 mm, and
then became immobile on Nov 24, with the posterior end attached to a
corn husk. By Nov 28 the abdomen started looking rumpled and by 7:00 am
today (Nov 29) the larval skin had split in front and had drawn back,
exposing the fore portion of a dark and red pupa.
The larva was still very active Nov 20 at which time Sue Westby took
some digital shots [just in time as it turned out].
If I ease the larval skin back from the pupa (or even remove it
entirely), so as to get shots of this second stage, is further
development likely to be terminated ?
I posted 2 of these shots on bugguide.net in ID request. If you care
to look at these and offer an opinion they are image nos 157579 and
157580 and are now on sheet 19. Go to--
http://www.bugguide.net
Click on ID Request, then the largest sheet number which generates an
option for larger sheet numbers. I think 3 clicks took me to sheet 19
and the images are in descending numerical order.
Yt, DW
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [NatureNS] Star-flower seeds & beetle larva
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:26:57 -0300
From: David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>
Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
To: NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca
Dear All, Oct 20, 2007
We took a leisurely walk at North Alton yesterday and, as is often
the case, noticed some things while sitting that would otherwise have
been overlooked.
The 'capsule' of Star-flower aka _Trientalis borealis_ (really a
~2-mm diameter, globose slightly coherent aggregation of ~10 dark seeds,
each encased in a glowing white sheath of hexagonal lace) is quite
striking now when viewed from arm's length above soil level. But more so
when viewed at 10, 20 or 40 X.
We also found a 16-mm long Lampyrid (Firefly) larva on the underside
of some White Pine bark that had been shed from a dead tree. I have not
seen a Lampyrid larva previously but it had Lampyrid written all over it
and resembles an illustration of _Pyractomena borealis_ in American
Beetles. The head is nearly 3 times as long as wide and can be almost
entirely (as viewed from above) withdrawn into the prothorax, which has
pink along the lateral margins.
From habitat (litter of a well drained forest soil) and law of
averages, I am guessing _Ellychnia_ our common fireless firefly. It did
not glow in the dark although apparently _Ellychnia_ larvae can do so.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
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