If you’ve seen something flying around recently, it might be a Cockchafer!
The Common Cockchafer is also known as a May Bug or Doodlebug, and June to July is when the eggs for this magnificent beetle are laid. The larvae spend anywhere between 3 and 5 years underground, before they emerge in the spring as the adult cockchafer.
Due to their nature of eating crops, these beetles are often considered a menace by farmers, and in 1320, the court of Avignon declared them outlaws when the beetles were ordered to leave town!
Fascinating Fact:
You can tell the difference between male and female cockchafers by counting the number of ‘leaves’ on their fan-like antennae – males have seven ‘leaves’ while females only have six.
