Cockchafers

Melolontha

Cockchafers are big, brown beetles that come out in the spring. They love to fly around at night and can be found in gardens and fields. Their larvae, called grubs, live in the soil and help the earth stay healthy.

Hábitat: Grasslands, Gardens

Aspecto

The Cockchafer has a robust, oval body, typically reddish-brown with a distinct black head and pronotum. Its ridged wing cases cover delicate flight wings, and males feature prominent fan-like antennae, making it visually distinct from smaller scarab beetles.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloArthropodaClaseInsectaOrdenColeopteraFamiliaScarabaeidaeGéneroMelolontha

Cockchafers

Categoría

Insectos

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Snaps

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Datos interesantes

Adult cockchafers only live for about 5-6 weeks, just long enough to mate and lay eggs.

Every few years, there's a "Cockchafer year" where thousands emerge all at once!

Males have special fan-like antennae they use to "smell" females from far away.

They spend up to five years as a grub underground before becoming an adult beetle!

Habilidades especiales

Cockchafer larvae can spend years underground munching on roots, helping them store energy for their big transformation into an adult beetle.

Cockchafers can fly through the evening sky, guided by special sensors on their antennae that help them find mates and food in the dark.

Male Cockchafers have fan-like antennae that act like radar, helping them sniff out female pheromones from far away to find a partner.

Medidas y detalles

Envergadura: 45-60 mm
Tamaño: 25-30 mm
Esperanza de vida: 30-45 días
Velocidad de vuelo: 9 km/h
Cantidad de patas: 6

Dieta y alimentación

Adults munch on tree leaves and flowers, while their grubs feast on plant roots underground!

Diferencias por edad: Larvae (grubs) eat roots underground, while adults feed on leaves and flowers of trees and shrubs.

Alimentos principales

Oak leaves
Beech leaves
Fruit tree leaves
Grass roots
Clover

Método de búsqueda

Foraging

Conexiones ecológicas

eaten by

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Bats hunt adult cockchafers during their evening flights.

eaten by

European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Hedgehogs find and eat cockchafer grubs and adults.

eats

Pedunculate Oak

Quercus robur

Adult cockchafers feed on the leaves of oak trees.

eats

European Beech

Fagus sylvatica

Adults also consume the foliage of beech trees.

Rasgos

Solitario

Los animales solitarios viven solos durante la mayor parte de su vida y solo interactúan con otros para aparearse o cuidar de sus crías.

Herbívoro

Este rasgo caracteriza a los organismos cuya dieta consiste total o principalmente en material vegetal.

Pastizal

Los hábitats de pastizales son biomas terrestres dominados por pastos y plantas herbáceas, que sustentan a una variedad de animales de pastoreo.

Descomponedor

Describe a los organismos que descomponen la materia orgánica muerta, reciclando los nutrientes de vuelta al ecosistema.

Especie clave

Describe una especie cuya presencia y papel tienen un efecto desproporcionadamente grande en su entorno.

Gigante

Gigante describe organismos u objetos de un tamaño significativamente mayor al promedio de su especie o tipo.

Adaptado a la ciudad

Esta característica de hábitat indica especies que pueden coexistir con los humanos en entornos urbanos y suburbanos, utilizando estructuras artificiales y espacios verdes.