Termite or something else?

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exorr Delanson, NY Jul 05, 2009

I bought some topsoil locally and am working to fill the flower beds around my house with it and while working this morning found an odd bug that immediately made me think termite. But while it seems to have some characteristics of a termite its legs do not match that of all the pictures I've seen. The pictures show the legs like ant legs (bend a few times and walk on them like ants do) but this one has short little stubby legs that only bend in one spot.

Its about 2 or 3 times larger than your standard "large black ant" which I think is bigger than termites get. It also doesn't have the "fat" point in it's body (smaller towards the head, curving out to get bigger, than back to small tail) at any point in it. Just straight. I'll post a pic later but my wife took the camera today.

There are also no other ones that I've seen in this soil at all and I've moved about half the pile so far.

The last thing I want to do is put topsoil around my house that may have termites, but I'd like to think that's not what this is. Any thoughts as to what this could be by my description of it?

Edit: Investigating further, it also doesn't have an ant like head or any real antenna to speak of. I'm wondering if it's some sort of larva for another insect...

This message was edited Jul 5, 2009 11:37 AM

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Jul 05, 2009

About all I can say is that it definitely does not sound at all like a termite - an image is required for anything other than wild guesses.

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exorr Delanson, NY Jul 05, 2009

I agree; it has pincher's (not as big as the soldier termite pincher pics) and "sort of" looks like a soldier termite but again, it's missing the antenna and the ant like legs.

I'll post a pic later tonight. The little bugger is trapped in a glass awaiting.

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exorr Delanson, NY Jul 05, 2009

I'm foolish. I'm pretty sure this is nothing other than your normal grub, but I'll post a pic later :)

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