Sunday 22 May 2016

Cockchafer


 Ha! I thought that might get your attention. And, no, this is not related to Friday night/Saturday morning's mirror-related goings on. Now prepare to be disappointed.

 The cockchafer, also known as a May bug or doodlebug (and here in Norfolk as a chovy, mitchamador, kittywitch, and midsummer dor), is a large flying beetle whose adult form (imago) emerges around this time of year.

 I expect your minds are out of the gutter now, so take a look at the kittywitch that landed next to me on one of my geraniums as I sat in the sun drinking a coffee.

I think this is a common cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha).
The Melolontha genus belongs to the scarab family

Awww... Look at its little face!

Hmm... Its very slowly chowing down on my geranium



I believe this one is a female as it has six "leaves" on its antennae (males have seven)


I accidentally knocked it off the geranium as I was trying to get a photo from a different angle. It was very compliant as I picked it up and took a photo of its undercarriage!


 And finally: As an agricultural nuisance, in 1320, cockchafers (as a species) were taken to court in Avignon where they were ordered to leave town and relocate to a specially designated area, or be outlawed. All cockchafers who failed to comply were collected and killed.


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19 comments:

  1. Hound of Hecate22 May, 2016 18:39

    I have a strong suspicion that you have plagiarised this post from a Willam Belli song. Or are you Willam's lyrics writer on the qt?

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    1. Inexplicable DeVice24 May, 2016 18:48

      Gah! Found out, at last. And I would have got away with it if it wasn't for you meddling kids- uh, I mean, witches.

      Delete
  2. Mistress Maddie23 May, 2016 04:04

    Great photos, but now I feel like a need a bath. I'm itchy and it's not cockchafer.

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  3. eroswings23 May, 2016 05:56

    Awesome fotos & fantastic nature & history lesson. Thanks for sharing these. I usually avoid bugs & leave them be. But this bug looks very interesting & genteel. And if I'm going to be near any kind of cockchafer, I'd rather it be this kind than one that requires ointment. I hope the cockchafers have filed suit against Avignon to clear their name & for their rights to live freely & be treated with the respect they deserve.

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    1. Inexplicable DeVice24 May, 2016 18:50

      If you're not looking to have to buy ointment, I'd stay away from Mistress Maddie!

      Delete
  4. Jon23 May, 2016 07:51

    Another in a long line of magnificent yet deadly beasts - it, and its grubs, can soon make mincemeat of your lovely garden (especially plants in pots)... Jx

    PS The grubs are often known as "rookworms" as they are eaten by crows. Apparently.

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    1. Inexplicable DeVice24 May, 2016 18:55

      Thanks for the Evil Weevil reminder - I do keep checking my lilies for that beautiful, but destructive beetle and their shitty grubs.

      I know they're a bit of a pest, but I do have a soft spot for a cockchafer. They're so genteel (as Eros puts it), despite being bumbling oafs when not airbourne, and scarily noisy when they are!

      I haven't found any rookworms so far - and thats despite a lot of digging and repotting. Perhaps they live next door?

      Delete
    2. Jon24 May, 2016 19:35

      You'd soon jump if you saw one! Jx

      Delete
    3. Inexplicable DeVice24 May, 2016 21:20

      Oh!

      Well, that was unpleasant. I don't like the way those beady little eyes have almost sunken into its head. And are those legs or toilet brushes?

      Delete
    4. Jon25 May, 2016 00:02

      The toilet is one place I wouldn't like to encounter one. Not with those mandibles! Jx

      Delete
  5. Ms Scarlet24 May, 2016 12:16

    Males always have to have extra bits don't they?
    Sx

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  6. Anonymous26 May, 2016 21:35

    Oh, Maikäfer ! Schornsteinfeger, Müller, Kaiser ... I think in the 1920s (or perhaps in WWI ?) they went into the soup - crunch crunch !

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    1. Inexplicable DeVice29 May, 2016 17:17

      Deliberately or by accident? And do they need extra seasoning?

      Delete
  7. The Mistress27 May, 2016 14:59

    Cockchafer...we've all been there.

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  8. eroswings28 May, 2016 00:37

    You know, I was going to ask if these lovely creatures were edible, but the link in the post at buglife.org said that the adult & larvae are edible! I say if they're snacking on your plants, then it's only fair to snack on them. Geraniums are edible & I'd like to see the cockchafer reintroduced into the culinary world, perhaps Mary Berry can incorporate cockchafers in her next cookbook.

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    1. Inexplicable DeVice29 May, 2016 17:22

      I don't think I'd like to see Mary Berry chowing down on a cockchafer :s

      Delete

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