Hi All,
I’m Looking for a little help in identifying these bugs. I took these pictures in 2004. I have only noticed them two times, late at night in our driveway and haven’t seen them since. They appear to be some type of insect in its larvae stage. They were in a circle, about 5"-6" in diameter. The circle was real slimey. When I observed them they were moving in a slow circlular motion. There are some larvae that are lighter in color and larger in size. One of the weirdest things I’ve seen in nature. If it’s any help, these were taken where I live in Western New York state.
This is an overview. There were two circles. It’s an out of focus shot, but you can see tire tracks to get an idea of the size.
This is a closer shot:
And a close-up:
Any ideas?
Thanks, Tom
ewwwwww
If you have a nearby university, find out who their entomologist is and take the pictures to him or her. That is weird. I have never seen anything like that.
Midges circling the wagons, preparing to defend themselves?
Doug 
Looks a lot like something that belongs in a kleenex!
Ringworm.
MaRK
They look like hundreds af baby slugs
Bill
Did you see the movie Alien? It’s something along that line. Be very careful. 8T 
My 2cents:
Looks like some kind of manmade braided ring with small maggots
feeding on it, Could it of been regurgitated from a dog or cat?
I am curious, 8T may try to tie and name a fly after it…lol
DG-"ewwwwww
If you have a nearby university, find out who their entomologist is and take the pictures to him or her. That is weird. I have never seen anything like that. "
Ha, Ha, Ewwwwww is right! The University of Buffalo is the closest big school that may have an entomology dept. I will look into it. As a side note my four year old (almost five) is big into bugs and other creepy crawlers right now and he wants to be an entomologist when he grows up! (along with an astronut, deep sea diver and construction worker, but not a Fireman " Because I can’t get dressed fast enough"
Celltech said “They look like hundreds af baby slugs”
That could be what they were as we do have a lot of slugs in our yard.
“Midges circling the wagons, preparing to defend themselves?”
Doug, if you could of seen them you would know how plausable that sounds. It was very surreal watching them slowly make this slimey, writhing, hypnotic circle dance. I have to wonder if it was some kind of mating thing going on.
I hope I see them again some day. I’ll take a video this time and a sample of some of them.
Keep the answers coming,
Tom
Looks like some good bait for cat fishing…
Send the pictures to the people at this website. They will figure it out for you.
This may be an opportunity to create a fly that everyone would have to agree has not been done before:shock:
The nympho-ring
The nympho-lasso
It might demand very accurate casting:rolleyes:
On closer examination, it looks like two Adults with their babies? I can’t believe there would be that many kids, from ONE love making session?
Doug :shock:
Nothing I’d want to eat. Now Joe V …
Flyrodde, Thanks, I’ll try whats that bug.
For what it’s worth look at the position of the white guy in the second picture and compare it to the third. He’s moved a couple inches counterclockwise. I checked the properties of the pictures and they were both taken at 10:34 PM, though I’m sure a couple of seconds apart, but no more than 60 seconds. I wonder what direction they would circle in the southern hemisphere…
OBVIOUSLY, you have someone in your neighborhood that can blow not only, smoke rings, but accomplish something similar, when they have a head cold, with their nose.
The “white guys”, were merely attracted to a free meal.
Looks like spaghetti trout waiting to be slurped up!
Scooter -
Please keep us updated on this, I’d like to know what they are, never seen anything like that in my 60 years.
I’d post that same picture and question in Joe V’s “Festival Foods” thread.
Tell 'em they were 3 for a buck at the “church picnic” as the folks in Northeast PA call them.
All I know is if I saw that in my driveway I’d get out the jackhammer!
It looks like it may be the early stages of Tent catterpillars, or Web Worms. I’ve seen them do what looked similar to your picture under a Wild Cherry tree they seem bent on stripping along my driveway. But I’ve never seen them in a perfect circle like your picture. It is pretty grassy there and the drive is graveled so that may have a bearing on them not being able to form much of a perfect circle like your picture.
You’ve got my curiosity up and hope you post what they are. Have a Good’n.
Jesse