It's the YUCK grub.
Sorry, I couldn't resist. Grubs gross me out---they are duck food around here asap. Or my son's gecko loves them.

:) Angie

I think they are the larval stage of an inch-longish black June beetle. Robins love them, and crows redeem themselves by harvesting them agressively. They are hard on emerging beans and young plants of any kind, emerge in the evening to feed, and retreat by daylight. They can often be found by scraping around the corpses of their victims just underground. They dislike sand and wood ash and are easily controlled with common insecticides. Little bast'ds took out half my green beans this year.

Here is a link that might be useful: June beetle larvae

marknmt, thank you for such a quick response. I've never seen a June bug before. I do wish I had ducks to feed them to. I am horrified that I have provided a habitat for them, but also relieved to know they are there so I can deal with them now.

Since I am moving my compost pile to make a lasagna pile with layers of manure and green between the wood pellet, will I provide a better habitat or worse?

If I miss any, how can I be assured that they will not survive?

Thanks again!

Many beetle larvae look similar, it could also be a stag beetle for example. Japanese beetles also look like that but smaller. I think Marks guess is the most likely. For me I never get enough of these bugs to cause any damage so I would not worry about it until the damage shows up.

Scott

Lasagna compost with enough nitrogen and oxygen should heat up enough to discourage larvae, which like the coolness of soil and dislike daylight and being disturbed.

Like Scott says, they usually aren't a great problem. I'm just mad about my green beans ...

:-)M