Are these carrot root fly larvae?

[GBax]

They don't look like the little white maggots i have seen in pictures.
The damage they caused was quite substantial.

Thanks for your help

[veggiechicken]

Wireworm maybe?

[GBax]

They dont look like wireworm if you google the larvae.....

This occurred on a 60 cm high raised bed so i hoped i should avoid CRF - i would like to ID them so i can try and prevent the same happening again - are they an airborne or subterranean pest though ?!!!

[veggiechicken]

You seem to have 2 different things - one with spots and one without.
I'm not an expert, just a guesser!

[GBax]

Yes i thought that !

[veggiechicken]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...oes_60964.html
The Spotted ones are Spotted snake millipedes http://ucanr.edu/sites/santabarbarac...iles/75474.pdf

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...des_71212.html

[Alison]

This occurred on a 60 cm high raised bed so i hoped i should avoid CRF

It's a myth that they can't get above about a foot, they ride the thermal - I know people who've had them on balconies

[GBax]

Bingo - those are them - thanks so much. It mentions a Nematode that can help so at least i have a chance to try and kill them this year

[Penellype]

In my admittedly limited experience, these millipedes (which are quite abundant in my garden) rarely do much damage on their own. I frequently find them in my potato buckets but the potatoes are undamaged. However, if something else such as slugs or carrot fly starts the damage, the millipedes will then move in and start eating. It seems as though they are unable to get into undamaged roots (or fruits - I've found them in slug damaged courgettes and tomatoes), but will take advantage if something else lets them in. The large holes near the top of the carrot look like slug damage, the tunnels lower down look typical of carrot fly. The white, forked tailed nymph could be some sort of beetle larva which may be eating the millipedes or carrot fly grubs.

[Zelenina]

The white creature in the hollow on the carrot looks like a two-pronged bristletail. You would need an expert to tell the exact species but it could be Campodea staphylinus which is the most common one, shown in the photo here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campodea

Or possibly this one, Campodea fragilis Campodea fragilis - Campodea fragilis | NatureSpot

Not much information about what they eat, but they're probably just taking advantage of damage already done by something else. They are a primitive type of animal that used to be classified with insects but now have been moved to a separate group. So they're kind of prototype insects. Prehistoric ones are sometimes found trapped in amber.

[TrysHard]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/profile?PID=801

The RHS don't see them as a particular problem - I had them bad in mushroom compost fed beds one year - was the damp condtions and some fungi they like apparantly

[WendyC]

Amazing to have a whole eco-system on a carrot! The brown damage towards the tip of the carrot is due carrot root fly larvae. Agree with Alison about the low flying theory is a myth. This was confirmed on my RHS course recently too. The larger excavation I would say in slug damage. The creatures now on the carrot are taking advantage of the already damaged root.

[Zelenina]

I think I can see a small slug in there too, but it's not very clear because it's mixed up with some soil. Those small underground slugs can do a lot of damage to root vegetables. Here's the second photo with everything labelled.