The common cockchafer is native to Europe. Adults and larvae feed on plants and are regarded as serious agricultural pests. The cockchafer develops via metamorphosis, in which the beetle undergoes stages of egg, larvae, pupae and adults.
Adult cockchafers appear at the end of April or in the first half of May. They feed for some time, and females become mature at 10 to 15 days after emergence. After mating, females lay around 20 eggs in soft soil. After 4 to 6 weeks the larvae hatch, which are fat white grubs that typically have a curved body shape and live in the soil. They can grow up to 40 to 46 mm in length. It takes 3-4 years for the larvae to become fully developed.
Because of their long development time as larvae, cockchafers appear in a cycle of every three or four years; the years vary from region to region.
Astrid
6 May 2024und blieb schön auf der Hand sitzen 🙂