# Common Cockchafer (*Melolontha melolontha*) The Common Cockchafer is a big, brown beetle that comes out in spring. They fly around and can be seen buzzing in gardens and fields, making them a fun sight for kids! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Cockchafer Beetle ![Common Cockchafer](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Maybug.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maybug.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Cockchafer has a distinctive chunky, reddish-brown body with a shiny black head and thorax. It features fan-like antennae and a black triangular tip on its abdomen. Its hardened wing cases cover delicate flight wings, giving it a robust appearance different from many slender beetles. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Scarabaeidae - **Genus:** Melolontha ## Interesting facts - A female cockchafer can lay up to 80 eggs underground during her short adult life! - Cockchafer grubs spend up to four years hidden underground before becoming an adult. - Once, common cockchafers were collected for food or used in children's games! - They use special chemical signals, called pheromones, to find mates in the dark. ## Special abilities - **Night Navigator:** The Common Cockchafer can fly accurately at night because of its well-developed antennae that help them sense smells and navigate in the dark. - **Root Muncher:** The Common Cockchafer has larvae that can live underground for years, silently eating plant roots that helps them grow big before transforming. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 50-60 mm - **Size:** 25-30 mm - **Lifespan:** 28-42 days - **Flight Speed:** 8 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Adult cockchafers nibble leaves, while their grubs feast on plant roots underground. - **Age differences:** Larvae (grubs) eat roots of grasses and crops; adults primarily feed on tree leaves. - **Primary Foods:** Oak leaves, Beech leaves, Fruit tree leaves - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [English Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/english-oak) (*Quercus robur*) — Adults defoliate leaves, sometimes causing damage. - **Eats:** [European Green Woodpecker](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-green-woodpecker) (*Picus viridis*) — Hunts cockchafer larvae (grubs) from the ground. - **Eats:** [European Badger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-badger) (*Meles meles*) — Digs up and eats the large, nutritious cockchafer grubs. - **Eats:** [Potato](https://www.snappit.app/explore/potato) (*Solanum tuberosum*) — Larvae can damage the roots of potato plants. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Cockchafers are not dangerous, but it's best to watch them from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Cockchafer? Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Common Cockchafer's wingspan? 50-60 mm ### How big is Common Cockchafer? 25-30 mm ### How long does Common Cockchafer live? 28-42 days ### How fast can Common Cockchafer fly? 8 km/h ### What does Common Cockchafer eat? Adult cockchafers nibble leaves, while their grubs feast on plant roots underground. ### Where is Common Cockchafer usually found? Grasslands ### How does Common Cockchafer hunt? Foraging ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Common Cockchafer: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-cockchafer)