The witchetty grub look-a-like found in a tree stump at Club La Costa World’s Trenython Manor has been revealed as an extremely rare find after experts at the Natural History Museum were called on to help identify it.
The larva was found in a tree stump by gardeners (see blog story January 11th). It bears an amazing resemblance to the famous bushtucker trial “delicacy” from TV’s “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!”
Resort Manager Nick Waddington took photographs of the grub before it was safely replaced in its tree stump and sent them to Cornwall Wildlife Trust to see if wildlife experts could shed light on its identity.
The pictures sparked debate and Dr Keith Alexander, Cornwall’s Coleoptera (beetle) recorder reckoned it was the larva of one of the longhorn beetles – Cerambycidae. But even he was unsure and forwarded the photographs for a second opinion.
Now Max Barclay, Curator, Coleoptera, Department of Entomology, at the Natural History Museum in London, and Martin Rejzek from the John Innes Centre, the international centre of excellence in plant science and microbiology, have concluded that the larva is most likely to be the Prionus Coriarius, or Sawyer Beetle, a localised species in Cornwall, and only the eighth recorded for the county.
Nick Waddington said:” We pride ourselves on providing a haven for wildlife, most of which we can identify! It was very interesting to be at the centre of a wildlife mystery and we look forward to seeing the beetle in all its splendour when it emerges.”
For more information about Trenyhon Manor visit the website below:
www.trenython.co.uk
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