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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-92--1004387695 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi folks, It's possible that the crows and/or skunks are after June bugs/beetles (Phyllophaga spp.) larvae. In my experience these are very seldom abundant enough (at least in this region) to be a major food item for birds and/or mammals. Much more abundant in grass/sod environments can be "leatherjackets", which are crane fly (Diptera: Tipulidae) larvae (not daddy longlegs which are Opilionids (harvestmen) of the family Phalangiidae, which are arachnids somewhat distantly related to spiders, with which they are often confused) or "wireworms" which are the larvae of click beetles (Elateridae). The larvae of many species of click beetles in the subfamily Prosterninae feed on the roots of grasses. For photos of a "leatherjacket" see: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Tipula_leatherjacket_Emelt.jpg/800px-Tipula_leatherjacket_Emelt.jpg http://www.turfshop.co.uk/images/home/leatherjacket.jpg For photos of a "wireworm" see: http://www.oisat.org/images/wireworm.jpg http://www.wingwatchers.com/images2/wireworm1.jpg Cheers! Chris On 21-May-08, at 10:23 AM, Ken MacAulay wrote: > I had a similar experience here in Port Mouton several years ago. > Despite > much local opinion that skunks or raccoons were to blame, the > culprit turned > out to be crows. This went on for weeks, the minute I left for work > until I > got home and there was a presence in the yard. Very aggravating! > They were > presumably doing me a favour by eating June Bug and leather jacket > (daddy/jenny long legs?) larvae. I noticed also that if I cut the > grass and > left any larger pile of clippings which turned brown before being > picked up, > this caught the crows attention and they immediately dug up the area, > presumably thinking that bug larvae underneath had killed the grass > and a > feast was waiting. > Ken MacAulay > Port Mouton, NS > +8 C, rain Christopher Majka Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3A6 c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca --Apple-Mail-92--1004387695 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi = folks,<div><br></div><div>It's possible that the crows and/or skunks are = after June bugs/beetles (<i>Phyllophaga</i> spp.) larvae. In my = experience these are very seldom abundant enough (at least in = this region) to be a major food item for birds and/or mammals. Much more = abundant in grass/sod environments can be "leatherjackets", which are = crane fly (Diptera: Tipulidae) larvae (not daddy longlegs which are = Opilionids (harvestmen) of the family Phalangiidae, which are arachnids = somewhat distantly related to spiders, with which they are often = confused) or "wireworms" which are the larvae of click beetles = (Elateridae). The larvae of many species of click beetles in the = subfamily Prosterninae feed on the roots of = grasses.</div><div><br></div><div>For photos of a "leatherjacket" = see:</div><div><br></div><div><a = href=3D"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Tipula_le= atherjacket_Emelt.jpg/800px-Tipula_leatherjacket_Emelt.jpg">http://upload.= wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Tipula_leatherjacket_Emelt.jpg/= 800px-Tipula_leatherjacket_Emelt.jpg</a></div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.turfshop.co.uk/images/home/leatherjacket.jpg">http://ww= w.turfshop.co.uk/images/home/leatherjacket.jpg</a></div><div><br></div><di= v>For photos of a "wireworm" see:</div><div><br></div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.oisat.org/images/wireworm.jpg">http://www.oisat.org/ima= ges/wireworm.jpg</a></div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.wingwatchers.com/images2/wireworm1.jpg">http://www.wing= watchers.com/images2/wireworm1.jpg</a></div><div><br></div><div>Cheers!</d= iv><div><br></div><div>Chris</div><div><br><div><div>On 21-May-08, at = 10:23 AM, Ken MacAulay wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite">I had a = similar experience here in Port Mouton several years ago. = Despite<br>much local opinion that skunks or raccoons were to = blame, the culprit turned<br>out to be crows. This went on for = weeks, the minute I left for work until I<br>got home and there was a = presence in the yard. Very aggravating! They = were<br>presumably doing me a favour by eating June Bug and leather = jacket<br>(daddy/jenny long legs?) larvae. I noticed also that if = I cut the grass and<br>left any larger pile of clippings which turned = brown before being picked up,<br>this caught the crows attention and = they immediately dug up the area,<br>presumably thinking that bug larvae = underneath had killed the grass and a<br>feast was waiting.<br>Ken = MacAulay<br>Port Mouton, NS<br>+8 C, rain<br></blockquote></div><br><div = apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: = rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: = normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: = normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; = -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; = -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; = white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div = style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; = -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Christopher = Majka</div><div>Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova = Scotia, Canada B3H 3A6</div><div><a = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a></div><= div><br class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></div></div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"></span> = </div><br></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-92--1004387695--
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