I had commented on the original post saying I called these cutworms as a kid.

I remember seeing them around the compost piles along with some yellow and brown/orange beetles.

Always assumed these cutworms turned into the beetles because they could be found inside these little hard mud pods and sometimes you'd find them in a larval state.

Just looked it up, yeah... fruit chafer beetle in South Africa ( a few different names https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachnoda_sinuata) and they start off as these cutworms.

I'll have to go back and dig some more. This guy was under dead leaves but ontop of the soil. Seemed to be a part of the yard that stays shaded throughout the day and retained some moisture.