Beetle ID?

[HillBill]

We went camping upto Grizedale forest earlier in the year and came across a few of these fellas. Well, they came across us, we had quite a few land on our tent. I was wondering if anyone knew what they were.

They are pretty large, between 1 and 2 inches in length.

Cheers

 

[decorum]

It's one of the Maybug / Cockchafer family.

Fantastic creatures ~ but they can create havoc in an enclosed space .

 

[delbach]

It looks like a cockchafer,
Andrew

 

[Bushwhacker]

Yep, cockchafer and it's a male too - 7 fronds on the antennae. One of my favourite and also one of the friendliest insects.

 

[HillBill]

Theres really a beetle called a cockchafer? lol, Whoever came up with that name?

Just googled it and yes it does indeed look like one of those. Thanks guys

 

[Harvestman]

Cockchafer - largest of the chafer beetles in the UK - hence the 'cock', meaning the largest. Ye olde-type English name.

 

[HillBill]

Ah that clears it up then Must say i've had a chuckle over the name.

I was having a read on wiki about them and came across this, which also amused me somewhat

"In 1320, for instance, cockchafers were brought to court in Avignon and sentenced to withdraw within three days onto a specially designated area, otherwise they would be outlawed. Subsequently since they failed to comply, they were collected and killed."

 

[shaggystu]

Yep, cockchafer and it's a male too - 7 fronds on the antennae. One of my favourite and also one of the friendliest insects.

how many fronds do the females have?

we had loads of these on the back garden last year, we have an outside light above the back door which i think attracts them, i went to answer the door a few times to find that it was cockchafers flying into the glass.

stuart

 

[Bushwhacker]

how many fronds do the females have?

we had loads of these on the back garden last year, we have an outside light above the back door which i think attracts them, i went to answer the door a few times to find that it was cockchafers flying into the glass.

stuart

They have 6.

 

[shaggystu]

They have 6.

thanks for that

stuart

 

[HillBill]

That was probably why they were attracted to our tent. We had a duel fuel lantern burning and a fire on the go. They don't half make a noise as they fly, like mini helicopters

we had loads of these on the back garden last year, we have an outside light above the back door which i think attracts them, i went to answer the door a few times to find that it was cockchafers flying into the glass.

stuart