[Note: This entry was previously black-eyed Susan n 6.]
black-eyed Susan (grub) n Also black-eyed Susan worm, ~ Susy, brown-eyed Susan (grub), Susan, Susy (grub), Suzy chiefly WI, nIL Cf weed worm n b
An insect larva, usu of a stem-boring weevil (Lixus spp), found in the stalk of the black-eyed Susan n 2 and related plants, and often used as an ice-fishing bait.
1952 Capital Times (Madison WI) 15 Feb 16/1, Brown eyed Susan grub. This is obtained from the stalk of the plant that has fallen down. 1953 Belvidere Daily Republican (IL) 19 Dec 5/2, [Advt:] Ice Fisherman, get your black-eyed Susan Grubs at Art Humphrys. 1953 WI State Jrl. (Madison) 2 Jan sec 2 3/1, [Advt:] Live Bait for Ice Fishing • Brown Eyed Susans • Wigglers. 1957 Janesville Daily Gaz. (WI) 11 Sept 14/9, Inside the brown stems of these plants [=black-eyed Susans] you find little white grub worms with dark heads, called black-eyed Susans. These worms are excellent ice-fishing bait for bluegills, crappies and perch. 1959 Fox Lake Representative (WI) 3 Dec 6/1, [Advt:] For Sale—Black eyed Susan worms for your ice fishing. 1960 Lincoln Eve. Jrl. & NE State Jrl. (NE) 19 Jan sports sec 15/1, Black-eyed Susans come from the stalk of the flower of the same name. 1962 Racine Jrl.–Times Sun. Bulletin (WI) 16 Dec sec D 6/5, Suzies and mousies seem to be the preferred baits. 1965 Janesville Daily Gaz. (WI) 22 Jan 12/9, Perch are biting on mousee grubs, Susans, and the lively little grubs called “spikes.” 1968 DARE (Qu. P6, . . Kinds of worms . . used for bait) Infs IL32, Black-eyed Susan—half inch wide and as long as an old-fashioned match—golden beige color; WI38, Black-eyed Susans. 1971 Indianapolis News (IN) 28 Jan 42/1 nwIN, Bait houses in the Morocco-Enos area near Willow Slough sold out of mousies, bee moths and black-eyed susans, the latter a native beetle larva. 1980 Capital Times (Madison WI) 26 Dec 21/1, Suzies are not partial [sic for peculiar?] to the brown-eyed susan plant. Most grubs are found in the downed section of wild sunflowers and cone flowers. . . Look in marshy areas and along fence rows for this hardy grub which pupates into the alexus [sic] weevil. 1983 Ibid 21 Jan 16/2, “We caught ours on Susies. . . What are these Susie grubs anyway?” Korie asked. According to University of Wisconsin entomology Professor Walter Gojmerac, the Susie grub is the larva of the Elexus [sic] weevil. 1986 Minneapolis Star & Tribune (MN) 5 Jan sec C 10/3, You also should spend a buck or so on some waxworms or black-eyed Susies to dress the jigs. 1998 Capital Times (Madison WI) 16 Jan sec B 7/2, Other good baits are brown-eyed susans and waxworms and insect larvae. 2012 in 2020 DARE File—Internet IL, Went out today looking for weed worms/blackeyed susans, only found a couple of handfuls of sticks for my effort. 2013 Ibid neIA, Black eyed Susan grubs—In NE Iowa, I usually harvest the grubs around Thanksgiving weekend. . . The “Suzies” are about 3/8 to 1/2″ long and white.