WTF are these lava I keep diggin up.....

[Dusty]

Don't know if anyone else has recently, they are only usually 3 inches in the earth black head, white body bout an inch long a fair few legs and not too fond of being unearthed!

Not squeamish but Jesus did I go skyward when I had one in a large coin ball!! 

[nobby]

they taste lovely.....

[Chef Geoff]

Townies They are just the larvae of Daddy long legs.

[Villan (Neil)]

Sound like beetle larvae.Taste like cold bitter snotty gunk according to Bear Grylls 

[Chef Geoff]

Sound like beetle larvae.Taste like cold bitter snotty gunk according to Bear Grylls 

Oh those are really nice, they have a nut brown coloured head though.

[win]

lovely grilled.

[Val Beechey]

That size they sound like CockChafers. Very large, lavae feed on the roots of crops.
Think yourself lucky you didn't see one flying. They sound like Jumbo Jets.

Val

[Dusty]

That size they sound like CockChafers. Very large, lavae feed on the roots of crops.
Think yourself lucky you didn't see one flying. They sound like Jumbo Jets.

Val

Bloody hell, spot on there Val!

This is the bugger and I'm diggin lots! http://www.uksafari.com/jpeg3/cockchafer06.jpg

And this is what they turn into, been diggin them to, must be close to moving out the soil into the wide world  http://www.uksafari.com/jpeg3/cockchafer01.jpg

[Val Beechey]

Hi Dusty

Guess what I found when I went out to show off my potatoes to our visitors. That one you've shown is the female, take a look a a fine specimen of a male. Note the stagshorn front legs. One of britains biggest beetles.
My dog got one stuck in his whiskers last night, real laugh, he was in an absolute panic.

Val

[Chef Geoff]

And they have a horrible habit of flying at head hight, I've been hit twice right on the forehead and they b@^%dy hurt

[nfl]

  was 1 outside my front door last night ,my mrs wouldent come out and it sounds like a flying electic toothbrush

[Dusty]

Ha, poor dog!

They look proper agro but according to internet they are quite harmless... phew!!! I've also noticed the bird have cottoned on, all around my freshly disturbed soil looking for worms etc.... not daft!

[cardiffian]

They are also known as May bugs. When they come out and start flying get inside quick,
 as they do have a habit of flying into things. They make a sort of clicking noise but are only out for a few days. I caught one in a glass last year and they are quite impressive close up.