Common cockchafer
Melolontha melolontha
Conservation status: Common
When to see: May to July
About
The common cockchafer, or May bug, typically emerges as an adult during May. These large, loud, clumsy brown beetles spend the first couple of years as larvae underground, feeding on plant roots. Adults live for several weeks and often fly around streetlights from dusk onwards. After emerging, adults feed on oak leaves and occasionally conifer needles. If you have a moth trap, you may even find these insects drawn in by the bright light.
| See also different: | Garden beetles |
