Olesja encountered this on a meadow path near a pond in Bashkiria, Russia. It was about 5 cm long, and had no discernible eyes, legs, or head. It moved in a jerky, almost caterpillar-like motion. She thought it might be a severed lizard tail, but it stopped moving when she touched it, and it resumed moving in the same direction about a minute later. The underside is smoother and darker than the topside.
Any clue as to what this might be? How afraid does Olesja need to be? How about the rest of us? Have we witnessed ground zero of an alien invasion? That tail, if larger, would make for good grappling, and all it would need then is a decent ovipositor, and viola, you've got human hosts.
Mongolian Death Worm?
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the thing that Khan put into Checkov's ear?
ReplyDeleteThe safe bet is on leech, being near a pond and all.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't think it's out of the question that it's some kind of chrysalis that's been dislodged from wherever it was hidden. I've definitely seen some that are very reactive.
Probably a leech though (not that I've ever seen one quite like it). I wish I could get a better look at either end of the thing. It seems like the blunter end terminates in what could be mouthparts and the more elongated end seems to have a hook, but I can only really see the shape in the shadow because of the depth of field on the picture.
Wow. Even I am stumped here.
ReplyDeleteSome kind of isopod?
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to tell, and I'm no expert on russian fauna, but it's some kind of beetle larva/neotenous adult.
ReplyDeleteIt could be a firefly larva/neotenous adult http://www.google.com/images?q=firefly%20larva&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi
but I'm thinking it's some sort of net winged beetle larva/neotenous adult
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=irc&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=lycidae%20larvae&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi
I'd be surprised if anyone can narrow it down further, but I guess we'll see.
Hey, I'm the person who took these pics. The friendly folk over at bugguide.net ID'd this little guy as a soldier fly larvae:
ReplyDeletehttp://bugguide.net/node/view/421649
There's also another photo here:
http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/67886715
Thanks so much for posting it!
Btw, I posted it on my facebook and got the Khan suggestion too, haha!
oh, I neglected to read the "had no discernible ... legs" part.
ReplyDeleteD'oh!
From an entomologist friend of mine:
ReplyDelete"It's a larva of a fly in the family Stratiomyidae. Typically live in nasty mucky areas and that tubular tail has the spiracle through which it breathes. They stick their head down in the scum and poke the tail up out of water.
Definitely won't hurt anyone"
Fascinating... but glad this is far away!
ReplyDeleteyikes...not sure i would have taken a picture and touched *that* i would most likely have run screaming in the opposite direction. creepy
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DO2zBVLoAo&feature=player_embedded
ReplyDeleteJebus, she *touched* that thing?!?!?!! She'll never get the ugly scrubbed off! And now she'll have alien babies come out of her hand.
ReplyDeleteI never trust anything that moves but doesn't have a face.
What Michael said makes sense. I remember reading about those things in a book - those are larvae of large flies, and apparently they feed on baby frogs. So no alien invasion here, sorry. Or thankfully.
ReplyDeleteHere is the link describing the animal in question:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.biolib.cz/en/image/dir0/id67557/?viewall=1&termflt=228
It is Stratiomyidae Latreille, 1802 - Soldier Flies
Dr. Takeshi Yamada
http://www.flickr.com/photos/museumofworldwonders2/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59423524@N04/