Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Vee8ch - This Bug's For You ... Rodent Poo With Legs???, 0 by Vee8ch

Vee8ch wrote:
Adult Dung Beetles push the poop around but they don't cover themselves with it. The baby dung beetles are eventually laid inside the ball but the dungballs are much bigger than your picture and they are buried in the ground. edited to say-This is only my understanding of dung beetles.

There's a VERY slight chance that it could be a Lacewing larvae before it pupates. They cover themselves with poop and dead vegetation and the skins and skeletons of the aphids and icky critters they eat. But I've never seen one so smooth and round as yours. Usually they look like this picture.

I lean more towards it being the pupa of the greatly beneficial Lacewing. After the larvae hatches from the egg it feeds on the insects and covers itself like the picture. Then it creates a little silk-like ball and hangs out (pupates) inside of it for a week or two until it emerges as an adult. Normally these little balls are attached to the leaf but it is possible his loosened up and he will carry it around until he emerges.

This is just my opinion. :)

Sorry that I can't assure you but I have a strong feeling that it is the pupa of the Lacewing.

edited ... how big is that ball anyway? That would surely help to to qualify or disqualify the Lacewing theory.



This message was edited Jul 27, 2006 5:31 PM