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I have been out pulling up ragwort (Senecio spp) so the horses are not poisoned, and underneath every plant there was one of these larva. I have no clue what they might be. Does anyone know it? At full stretch it is 26mm.

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Another view

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Tipuloid (leatherjacket)?

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Paul

I expect you are right. I realised a couple of hours after I posted it that it is probably a crane fly larva - felt a bit dim really for not realising it before. In the field I thought that it looked like a fly larva, but it was so big, and I couldn't think of what it might produce. Doh!! Dug one up from under my garlic crop yesterday as well, so the little blighters are everywhere

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"Larvae have a distinct head capsule, and terminal abdominal segments often have long fleshy projections (almost like tentacles). Larvae are known for no more than 2% of the species". from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly where there is a pic.

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Too late, if it turns out to be unknown to science - I chucked it into next door's front garden after photographing it. and I expect the one in the garlic patch has pushed off in a huff now that I have removed its food source.

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Tipulidae