Challenge: ID this bug from my back yard

[Rhodie Ranch]

Guess what the excavator found today? Absolutely amazing. I gathered it up in a Grande Starbucks coffee cup for the YouTube.

 

[Smart Red]

Can't see video. Darn!

 

[so lucky]

That thing is HUGE! What kind is it? Are you going to keep it and see if it pupates?

 

[Smart Red]

I dug potatoes today. While doing so, I found three 'gold' pupae about 1 1/2 inches long. Never saw the likes of them before. Chickens got them.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

can anybody else watch the video? I hope I posted it correctly.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

What I found interesting was the segments and how the grub moved. And see the mouth parts? Eats wood. It hasn't pooped yet...wonder if it will?

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Oh, and no matter which way I turned it, it kept on crawling. So I guess it doesn't have a top and a bottom.

What shall I do with it? I want it to die cus its not good. But maybe pickle it for viewing sakes?

 

[frontiergirl53]

Native to my area. NOT a good bug.

I didn't see what the others posted... but we have those all around here. We call them Palo Verde bugs. (That looks like what it is from the pictures) They crawl into pools all the time and drown. If they are in my garden I either smack them with a boot or spray those suckers. Hope this helps!