What does the bear’s larva look like?

Medvedka or, as it is also called, cabbage is quite widespread in our country. This is a soil pest that prefers to feast on tubers, bulbs and rhizomes of cultivated plants, as well as their seeds, which causes quite serious harm to agricultural land. Most often, the larva of the bear is found in gardens where the soil is always well cultivated and fertilized - it is in such soil that the insect can easily make its own tunnels. But in the gardens, where there is a lot of turf, this pest, as a rule, does not live, and if it settles, then not for long, trying to fly to the "cozy" garden as quickly as possible.

Metamorphosis

To begin with, we will consider how the bear reproduces. This period falls at the end of spring - the beginning of summer, when at night a sufficiently high air temperature remains. However, in greenhouses, masonry can be found much earlier - they are often found in March. After mating, the females go into the soil to a depth of about 10-15 cm, making holes in it, which combine into a small nest. Moreover, the arch of such a “room” has a dome-shaped appearance and rises somewhat above the surface of the earth.

On a note! Due to this design, the masonry is well warmed up by the rays and the development of the insect proceeds in the normal mode.

In one clutch there are usually several hundred eggs, of which, after some time, larvae appear. At the same time, the latter are very similar in appearance to adult individuals. It should be noted right away that the bears are insects with incomplete transformation, and therefore they have no pupal phase.

Some gardeners often take the larva of the May beetle for the larva of the bear, and to correct this situation, we suggest you find out what the bear looks like at each stage of its development?

Eggs

They have an oblong shape and are painted in a light brown color. The size of the eggs is small and is no more than 3.5 mm in length. For their normal development, sufficient humidity is required, which is constantly monitored by adults, and depending on weather conditions, from time to time they close and open the inlet of the hole.

Bear eggs with their appearance somewhat resemble ant clutch, only in the latter they are slightly smaller. At the same time, crushing the bear’s egg is quite difficult, since it is covered with a dense film on top. Development in an egg under optimal conditions lasts about two to three weeks.

On a note! Since the bears equip their nests on the surface of the soil, it is quite simple to find the masonry: it is enough to inspect the area for bumps or just dig it shallow!

Larvae

So that you no longer confuse the larvae of the bear with other parasites that live in the soil, we have prepared a detailed description of them. To begin with, the young growth that emerges from the eggs resembles spiders. This phase is called the larva of the first age. The structure of their body, the length of which at the first stage of development is about 15 mm, they are in many ways similar to adults, but there are also certain distinguishing features:

• they have only 6 legs, not 8, like a mature bear;
• they are blind;
• they eat only the germinal yolk, which is located in their goiter;
• larvae of a cabbage of the first age do not have wings.

Before becoming an adult insect, the larva experiences several molts with an interval of 3-4 months. After the first her diet becomes more diverse: young animals can already eat humus, shell residues and female salivary secretion, which remained on the walls of the hole.

A month after the appearance of the egg, the larvae become very active and voracious. By autumn, young growth reaches 3-4 years of age and leaves the nest. They move through tunnels that were previously dug by their parents and switch to the usual menu for adult insects: they eat roots, bulbs and lower stems of plants.

Having the ability to eat normally and move quickly, the larvae go in search of new habitat zones. The full cycle of their development takes about 2-2.5 years, and after the last molt, they turn into adults, fully prepared for further reproduction.

Since the metamorphosis of these insects is quite prolonged, in the cold season, the larvae have to look for a place for wintering. In this role, vertical passages in the soil usually play. In the spring, parasites awaken and continue to develop. And at the same time, their survival in harsh conditions and further fertility directly depend on how many nutrients were accumulated by the pests before winter.

Cockchafer and bear: comparison of larvae

First of all, one should return to the peculiarities of the metamorphosis of the bear. As mentioned above, it is an insect with incomplete transformation, that is, young animals emerge from the egg, which looks like sexually mature individuals. Consequently, the larva of the bear cannot look like a caterpillar - it looks like a small copy of the imago.

And if we talk about the larva of the May beetle, then it will already be similar to a caterpillar. A more detailed description of it is as follows:

• the body is painted white with a length of about 2 cm and a thickness of not more than 0.8 cm;
• on the front of the body are three pairs of legs;
  
• on the body and legs there are small hairs;
• dark brown dots are clearly visible on the sides;
• the back of the body is darker.

As you can see, pest recognition is quite simple. And knowing exactly who settled on the site, you can quickly get rid of the uninvited guest. But remember that the fight against the bear should begin immediately - as soon as eggs or several adult insects have been discovered. If this is done, then the parasites can cause quite serious harm. They attack any grain and forage crops, as well as vegetables, young plants and seedlings of fruit, berry and ornamental crops. At the same time, the bear settles both in the open ground and in greenhouses. Mostly it gnaws grains and underground parts of plants, but sometimes it can overeat and seedlings. As a result of its activity, plants weaken and eventually die. But the loss can be direct, as happens when insects damage the tubers of potatoes and sugar beets.

Do not waste time and proceed to destroy the bear immediately. Have a good harvest!