The tunneling larva situation could be easily balanced with a brief stun period when dig up.  Solo and new players are quite vulnerable to them. Considering especially we still have our shovel out and  Their 3 strike attack can almost insta kill unarmored players.  A brief stun period would allow players to run or switch their weapons.

I tried posting as a comment on the previous thread but was unable to.

Honestly I don't have a problem with "Insta-death" situations as long as the player knows the risks going in. For example, if I am just starting out the game and I knowingly pick a fight with a wolf spider, it is entirely appropriate that I reap the consequences. The Larva feels a little unfair because you don't actually know what's under the dirt... you go into the situation with limited knowledge. Therefore an instant death feels like a punishment rather than a just consequence for being adventurous.