# I have no idea what this is…



## honeydripper (Jul 29, 2021)

I took a photo of this insect. I did the soap test on some spots in my backyard for worms and this bug came with another similar to it. And then a big spider, some gnats, and it looked small moths (white wings) came out. The black bug I posted came out like a worm, but I have no idea. I've tried the Google image search and nothing. Anybody else know?

Here is an Imgur link with a video (I struggled to find it when recording because of the glare).


http://imgur.com/bnbAPme


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## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

Some kind of beetle.


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

honeydripper said:


> ... Anybody else know?…


No idea but, whenever I discover a new life form in the lawn the first two questions I ask are:

1) Is this something that is likely eating the grass or roots? and/or;

2) Is this something that is likely to lay eggs which will hatch into something that will eat the grass or roots?

If I don't know - and depending upon a) whether temps will be "cool" for the next 90-120 days ("green light") or "hot (red light); and, b) when the last time I did so - I apply either a systemic (I.e., active ingredient imidacloprid aka - "Merit) OR beneficial nematodes: https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/198/Beneficial-Nematodes/

*Nematodes for Gardeners*: "_It's only been recently that beneficial nematodes have stolen the spotlight. After decades of trying, researchers now know how to efficiently mass-produce these insect-parasitic nematodes for use in the farming industry, and that's good news for gardeners. These tiny critters help control many common garden pests, including armyworms, rootworms, fleas, fungus gnats, stem borers, root weevils, cutworms, and billbugs. In field research, they've been shown to be just as effective as traditional insecticides on these pests.
Today, there are dozens of American companies selling beneficial nematodes to farmers and home gardeners. The worms can be used as a pest control for lawns and golf courses, gardens and greenhouses._"

I don't have any financial interest in any of the online beneficial nematode vendors but, I can attest to these folks after multiple purchases:

Hydro: https://hydro-gardens.com/product/guardian-lawn-patrol-mix-1-million-5p385a/

Arbico: https://www.arbico-organics.com/category/beneficial-nematodes

One last thought: applying beneficial nematodes will amount to an effective underground "seek and destroy" of ANY non-fungal soil-borne lawn pests (even one's present that you may not be aware of) so, there really isn't anything to lose and, if all or any of what came crawling out of that soap tests are lawn pests, everything to gain! :thumbup:

PS - temps are on the rise in my area which also means drier soil so, given your location, I imagine temps and soil moisture are even higher and lower respectively. This would lean me toward an app. of imidacloprid as BN's thrive in cooler temps and moister soil conditions.

(That is not to say BN's can't be applied; my greatest success story with them was in late June (HOT days and sultry humid nights) when we discovered wire worms (which no chemical can touch! :shock: ) - I simply watered the heck out of the lawn starting in the late afternoon and applied the BN's just after dusk and then set the sprinkler system to run again - they made it into the soil and did their "seek and destroy" on those wire worms from the surface down as far as 8" to 10" (they go wherever hosts are present! :thumbup:


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## dicko1 (Oct 25, 2019)

It looks like a larval ground beetle. Which species is impossible to tell from the picture.

Ground Beetles are generally beneficial.


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