Ughhhh What Was It ... ?

[chaptazbru]

Planting out some bedding plants today and in one old plant pot came across an ugly looking thing! It was about an inch long, quite plump and had two tiny black eyes and a short black spike at the other end. It was a sort of coppery brown colour. I looked up leather jacket on google, but I couldn't see any like the one I saw.

[tonyav]

chaptazbru, could you not use a piece of paper or similar and pick it up and put it in a bush or something like ?.

[sara3]

go and get it, and take a photo!

[chaptazbru]

I've put it in another unused plant pot tony with some soil over it and put the plant pot as far away from the back door as I possibly can!

[chaptazbru]

I would have done that already sara, only I don't know how to (not very technological me). That's why I've tried to describe it as best as I can.

[sara3]

okay, I only suggested that as I assumed you wouldn't want to go anywhere near it again :o)

[chaptazbru]

No, I'm just going to leave it. Only hope it doesn't transform into some monster that eats all my bedding plants (lol).

Been checking on google again, but can't find anything that it resembles, very annoying! Any more ideas excel ..... ?

[tonyav]

Could it be a Caterpillar of some sort maybe, those elephant moth caterpillars are huge.

[excelsior-1]

not at the moment,
i am continuing the search

[Lillymoon]

It sounds like a rat tailed maggot. Its the offspring of a fly. It lays its eggs in usually stagnant damp places. They look like rather large tadpoles with thin tails. I will try to get a pic for you...

[boxtops]

we call woodlice leatherjackets, I think it's a regional thing

[Lillymoon]

Was this it?
Larvae with Tails Found in Horse Trough, What are They? - Ask Me Help Desk

[Lillymoon]

Im sorry I dont know how to post a link on this pc. But if you google rat tailed maggot you will see if its your beastie or not.

[boxtops]

http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/entomology/larvae-tails-found-horse-trough-what-they-219053.html

bleah

[chaptazbru]

Thanks everybody for your help. I still don't know what it was. It's not that horrible looking rat tailed maggot. The creatuee I saw only has a small spike at its rear end !

DocSausage - those beetles come in varying sizes, the one I saw, actually on my back doorstep, was huge. I ran inside and shut all windows and doors !

[tonyav]

Yep, those things are bloody huge.

[237SJ]

Hawkmoth lavae?

[boxtops]

ah indeed, hawkmoth larva it could be http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&gs_rn=12&gs_ri=psy-ab&;cp=11&gs_id=15&xhr=t&q=hawk+moth+larvae&;biw=1010&bih=669&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45960087,d.d2k&wrapid=tljp1367846327243020&;um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&;source=og&;sa=N&tab=wi&ei=wq2HUc8_s-7SBcnlgcAM#imgrc=mE49av5v7kO0CM%3A%3BSpSbYTHjAfbg4M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.amentsoc.org%252Fimages%252Fkemp2.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.amentsoc.org%252Fpublications%252Fbulletin%252Farticles%252Fconvolvulus-hawk-moth-larvae.html%3B479%3B261

[chaptazbru]

tony suggetsed that 237, but no, I looked that up as well. The body was completely smooth on this thing, no segments or protrusions of any kind, but two tiny black piercing eyes - God, it was strange !

[chaptazbru]

The hawkmoth larvae is the nearest to it so far, but like I said, it doesn't have legs (or protrusions) of any kind, but I'm wondering now if it is some kind of large moth larvae ??