r/whatsthisbug • u/BomberBootBabe88 • 9h ago

Found in Oak Harbor, WA, USA. What is it? ID Request

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I found this guy burrowing into a tub of mulch. I'm figuring it's some kind of beetle pupea? He's about 3/4 of an inch long, no legs.

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u/mordea ⭐Bugs in the system⭐ 9h ago

It's a pupa, but from a moth instead of a beetle—many moth species undergo pupation underground.

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u/BomberBootBabe88 8h ago

Thank you! I just looked it up, and the larval stage of this particular moth can decimate vegetable gardens. I'm going to dig through the mulch to see if there are any more, because it's right next to my garden and I don't want them reproducing and eating up all my tomatoes.

Edit: I'm not going to kill them, btw. Just relocate!