Anyone know what this bug is?

[michelv]

According to my 8 year old daughter, that's a wasp larvae. I have no idea if she's correct or not, but she's usually up on these things.

Oh my, how did that end up in my pacmans terrarium o_o

[LilyPad]

Oh my, how did that end up in my pacmans terrarium o_o

She may not be correct lol, but she would have a much better idea than me. She also said it should have segments once the legs develop, and the picture doesn't look like it has defined segments. She still thought it was a wasp or bee larvae though.

[JeffreH]

This is a pupa (specifically, an exarate pupa), not a larva. Wasp larvae are usually incredibly simplified as they usually lead parasitic lifestlyes feeding on or within a host. Think ant or bee larvae, they are usually not very mobile and rather helpless without food provisions directly adjacent to them. You can have exarate wasp/hymenopteran pupae like this, but I don't believe this is a wasp.

It looks more like a beetle pupa to me.

As for the moth - I'm not sure. When I have the time I'll go through a lep guide for your area and see what I can find. Prettier, more charismatic specie like this can usually be identified to species fairly easily.

[LilyPad]

Definitely looks like a beetle pupa when I search it -- https://www.google.com/search?channe...EpCAqga5_YCQAw -- I will have to show my daughter when I get home.

[JeffreH]

I'd bank on a lone superworm pupating in there - this looks a lot like the pupa of Zophobas morio.