Common Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha)

OTHER NAMES: Maybug, Doodlebug
Latin Etymology: Melolontha ("cockchafer") melolontha ("cockchafer")

 

Common Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) at Geddington, Northants, UK - May 2026

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: 25-30cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A large distinctive chafer found commonly in Europe where it is likely the most familiar of the group. They have long been considered a pest even since the middle ages as the larvae in particular feed on the roots of plants including cereals. They also have the unusual distinction of being the first animal species in Western science to be recognised to have same sex intercourse, which was first recorded in 1834.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Genus: Melolontha
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A widespread resident, mostly seen in Summer

 - Seen in Northants 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto