BigChafer

You might recall me mentioning Chafer beetles flying around a birch tree at dusk a while back, though I couldn't get a picture at the time, what with them being up in the air and me down on the ground. I found one today resting in the crook of a brick, and frankly probably on its last legs. These beetles are notable for how very fat and furry they are, being about as tall/fat as they are wide. It's as if the wing cases are an ill-fitting suit struggling to sit on a very overweight gentleman!

Actually it probably looks a bit larger than it really is in the photo above. This one was about 18mm long perhaps (as a retrospective guess).

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6 Comments

  1. We have been watching these beetles for a couple of years. They seem to come out at this time of year June/July and just before sun down congregate around the top of pine trees. In 2010 we would watch them being picked off by gulls. We thought that they were bees but now know what they really are.

  2. Just found a load of them fying around a damaged lilac tree they have also landed on the lawn and are crawling about. my Dogs had one or two to eat.
    I have never seen so many and did not know what they were. thanks for info!
    kind regards
    chris.

  3. Found 1 of these guys in N.Ireland. 1st time ive ever seen 1.

  4. Been watching masses of these flying around outside, I too thought they were bees. Lovely to watch them dancing around and then pairing up, but slightly annoying when they hit my bedroom window whilst I’m reading.

  5. “I found one today resting in the crook of a brick, and frankly probably on its last legs.” Coincidence… i too found one of these beetles ontop a brick wall it appeared near death as well moving extremely poorly as if injured somehow.

  6. I live in Margate and am sure this is the beetle that I v found indoors recently. I am a bit scared of beetles but I m getting used to them now, even found one in the washing machine. I m glad to find out they r not woodworm!

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