The other night I came face-to-face with a Cockchafer. It is the first time that I have seen one of these large beetles. They are night time flyers and make quite a lot of noise during flight. They grow from between 20 mm to 30 mm and are easily recognisable by their pointed backs. The adult beetles eat leaves from trees and shrubs whilst their young, a large – fat, juicy ‘C’ shaped grub feed on roots of all different kinds. The Cockchafer is very common in England, Wales, the lower parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eire.
This one I carried gently and placed safely in the garden on an Iris flower.
Cockchafer, May-bug – Melolontha melolontha
Posts
.JPG)
12 comments:
He's not the most attractive looking fellow is he? Your pictures of him are fantastic though.
So they don't eat enough to be considered a garden pest? I think it's quite pretty.
Ann & TM: I find insects both interesting and beautiful in their own way.
If they neither bite nor sting then it gives me a better chance to really see a creature.
This beetle was so still when I found it that it could have been dead on first observation. It remained in the same position all night long and still hadn't moved by early afternoon. As they like moths are attracted to light - I knew it had to be moved away from any artificial light that would keep it away from its natural duty .. to mate and reproduce.
By placing it in the garden in the sunshine, not only did it begin to move but became almost like an acrobat - filled with grace and confidence as it sure-footed its way over the flower. There were moments when its eyes became aligned with mine and it reminded me of a little Pipistrelle Bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). These are one of the smallest and sweetest members of the bat family in England.
TM: It isn't considered a garden pest but might if found in large numbers be regarded as one by the occasional farmer as its young will chew on the roots of crops. I have not read anything that indicates that they have caused large crop damage so I assume that the parent insects lay their eggs in a wide variety of places and the young therefore are not noticed when they munch their lunch!
Hi Polly, nice Macro ;)
Hi Polly, nice Macro ;)
cock chafer eh? well I bet there's some awesome old English legend behind THAT name!
thank you very much for your such nice post..i am interested in your points
Thanks Polly. Great Pictures. And as usual wonderful information. The insect world is definitely fascinating.
nice capture
I always thought that bug was a beetle. Sure is an ugly thing!
Cockchafer.... What a name!
Initially I thought it was from the cockroach family. :P
I just love these photos. They are so very clear...I feel like I can reach out and touch them~
Thank You for the delightful images~
Post a Comment