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--Apple-Mail-12--467625675 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed NOV. 20, 2012 - A week ago (about Thurs., Nov. 15/12), Marg Horne of ne. New Minas (near the old Horton High School) called me to describe a scene she witnessed on her residential lawn from inside the house. A large flock of starlings landed there and had a feeding frenzy on abundant large whitish grubs?/larvae of some sort. She guessed each grub was 2-3 inches long (up to 7 cm. or so), and each one drooped on each side of the starling's beak. I told her my guess was "white grubs" of June beetles. It sounded as if the starlings were getting them on the ground surface, rather than digging for them. Is there a time in the June beetle life cycle when the grubs emerge from the soil?, and for what? Surely these beetles pupate underground, and the adults are normally not seen until mid to late May. Also I gather that white grubs can be quite plentiful at times on lawns, since we read about raccoons and skunks going after them by digging up the lawn or even by rolling the sod to remove their cover. My second guess re the prey of the starlings above would be possibly grubs/larvae of European crane flies, alias leatherjackets. These maggots are grayish or tan in colour and thick-bodied with no visible legs, but not as long as white grubs of June beetles. --------------------------- After I sent the two paragraphs above on the starlings and grubs?, here is what Marg Horne responded: Thanks so much, Jim. Your description sounds exactly like what I saw. I had looked up "June bug larvae" on the net and I really think that this must be what they were. Only thing is (and maybe we were not close enough) but the picture showed a fairly large head and lots of legs. We didn't see heads and legs -- they just seemed to be like earth worms, -- but the wrong colour. Your suggestion of going out to get one is excellent and I don't know why I didn't think of it! Next time (which I hope there is), I shall definitely rush out. Marg ------------------------ Comments please? -- Cheers from Jim in Wolfville for Marg Horne, New Minas --Apple-Mail-12--467625675 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Times New = Roman"><b>NOV. 20, 2012</b> - </font><span class=3D"Apple-style-span"= style=3D"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; ">A week ago = (about Thurs., Nov. 15/12), Marg Horne of ne. New Minas (near the old = Horton High School) called me to describe a scene she witnessed on her = residential lawn from inside the house. A large flock of = <b>starlings</b> landed there and had a feeding frenzy on abundant large = whitish grubs?/larvae of some sort. She guessed each grub was 2-3 = inches long (up to 7 cm. or so), and each one drooped on each side of = the starling's beak. I told her my guess was <b>"white grubs" of = June beetles</b>. It sounded as if the starlings were getting them = on the ground surface, rather than digging for them. Is there a = time in the June beetle life cycle when the grubs emerge from the soil?, = and for what? Surely these beetles pupate underground, and the = adults are normally not seen until mid to late May. Also I gather = that white grubs can be quite plentiful at times on lawns, since we read = about raccoons and skunks going after them by digging up the lawn or = even by rolling the sod to remove their cover.</span></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Times New = Roman'; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Times New = Roman"><b>My second guess re the prey of the starlings </b>above would = be possibly<b> grubs/larvae of European crane flies, alias = leatherjackets</b>. These maggots are grayish or tan in colour and = thick-bodied with no visible legs, but not as long as white grubs of = June beetles.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Times New = Roman" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Times New = Roman">---------------------------</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 16px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Times New Roman" = size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Times New Roman">After I sent the two = paragraphs above on the starlings and grubs?, here is what Marg Horne = responded:</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 13px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: = 19.8px Arial">Thanks so much, Jim. Your description sounds = exactly like what I saw.</font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"6" = style=3D"font: 24.1px Helvetica"> </font><font face=3D"Arial" = size=3D"5" style=3D"font: 19.8px Arial">I had looked up "June bug = larvae" on the net and I really think that this must be what they = were. Only thing is (and maybe we were not close enough) but = the picture showed a fairly large head and lots of legs. We = didn't see heads and legs -- they just seemed to be like earth = worms, -- but the wrong colour.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 24.1px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 30px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" = style=3D"font: 19.8px Arial">Your suggestion of going out to get one is = excellent and I don't know why I didn't think of it! Next = time (which I hope there is), I shall definitely rush = out.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 19.8px/normal Arial; min-height: 23px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: = 19.8px Arial"> Marg</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 13px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 16px; = "><b><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-weight: = normal;">------------------------</span></b></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Times New = Roman'; min-height: 16px; "><b><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"font-weight: normal;">Comments please? -- Cheers from Jim in = Wolfville for Marg Horne, New Minas</span></b></div> </body></html>= --Apple-Mail-12--467625675--
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