Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Ever Had a Cockchafer?
I hadn't until this morning, till I pulled the beast below out of the trap. Thankfully they don't bite or sting (apparently) but they have got amazing fan like protrusions in front of the eye and make a whirring noise like a miniature microlight in flight. Looking at the National Biodiversity Network website they don't exist up here, or at least no one's recorded them and supplied the data to NBN. I'm sure they must be reasonably common and I'm guessing that there just isn't anyone up here doing beetles in any detail. This one was easily 30mm in length and the kids loved it, till it flew...
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7 comments:
When I lived at Pegswood Alan one came in the sitting room window flew over the living room and nearly knocked a mirror off the wall! Dont get them up here though...
My Dad used to call them Fen Buzzers (as in Lincolnshire Fens).
Occasionally one would come down our chimney and hurtle around the lounge.
They are also known as May Bugs. The Wikipedia entry is fascinating: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockchafer
While moth trapping near Slaley last May, I was pelted by them!
We had one in our trap last year, like Stewart says, don't get them up here - a bit like water shrews!
I read earlier that they come in cycles so maybe this year Stewart.
They are loud Andrew.
Tim, Maybug doesn't have the same traffic-grabbing headline title though ;)
Yep, get em in my trap too.
Enormous!
Mrs Thing was most perturbed when one flew into the kitchen the other week. Properly bonkers bug.
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