Invertebrates
Cockchafer
Melolontha melolontha · also called May bug
On a warm May evening, a cockchafer drones out of an oak and bumbles into a lit window, its fan-shaped antennae spread wide as it clings to the glass.
Overview
The cockchafer, Melolontha melolontha, is a Not Evaluated beetle of woodland edges, hedgerows, orchards, and grassland across Europe. Its fan-shaped antennae, noisy dusk flights, and long-lived root-eating grubs make it one of the most recognisable beetles of European springs.
A beetle that waits years underground
Most of a cockchafer’s life is spent as a white grub in the soil, feeding on roots for three or four years before it climbs to the surface for a few weeks of life as an adult.
Status
Not Evaluated globally, though much reduced in many areas.
Cockchafer: common questions
Why is it called the May bug?
It is named for its habit of emerging in large numbers in spring, around May, and flying in the evening.
How long do cockchafer grubs live underground?
They live in the soil for three or four years, feeding on roots, before pupating and emerging as adults.
Why do cockchafers fly into lights?
They fly at dusk and are drawn to lights, often blundering into windows and lamps.
Where is the cockchafer found?
It lives in woodland edges, hedgerows, orchards, and grassland across Europe.