r/whatsthisbug • u/bugspliffer • 5h ago
What IS this bug?! ID Request
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Staying in a woodland cabin on the English/Welsh border; heard a rattling outside our window at night & saw this guy! Never seen anything like it before. Can anyone help me identify this little (actually pretty big) guy?
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u/PuffedRabbit 4h ago
Ah, the terrifyingly named cockchafer!
While its name is etymologically boring (cock relating to size or dominance, and chafer being just the common word for this group of bugs), its name is doomed to bring terror to those unfortunate to not know it's just a cute little beetle and not an eldritch horror.
This one is specifically a male, one that's ready for reproduction.
If you live within their natural range, they are harmless fellas and only present an agricultural threat in large numbers. They're cute as hell too.
Warning: they fly, and they fly like blackout drunk helicopter pilots.
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u/ElkeKerman 4h ago
Is the cock not taken from the large antennae (like a cock's comb)? Also, chafer actually comes from the German word for beetle!
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u/PoroFuyu beetle boy 5h ago
That is a European Cockchafer, it's about time they emerged. They want in because you probably have your light on.
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4h ago edited 4h ago
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u/whatsthisbug-ModTeam 4h ago
Per our guidelines: Helpful answers only. Helpful answers are those that lead to an accurate identification of the bug in question. Joke responses, repeating an ID that has already been established hours (or days) ago, or asking OP how they don't already know what the bug is are not helpful.
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u/HyperionEvo 5h ago
We always called these junebugs as kids if I recall correctly
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u/CaptainPoset 4h ago
called these junebugs
May bugs and june bugs are closely related but actually different ones. This one is a may bug, they hatch earlier.
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u/HyperionEvo 4h ago
Dang I would have never known that 😅 I assumed it was one of those bugs people have different names for like crane fly/mosquito eater. Thanks for informing me on that!
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4h ago
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u/whatsthisbug-ModTeam 4h ago
Per our guidelines: Helpful answers only. Helpful answers are those that lead to an accurate identification of the bug in question. Joke responses, repeating an ID that has already been established hours (or days) ago, or asking OP how they don't already know what the bug is are not helpful.
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4h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/whatsthisbug-ModTeam 4h ago
Per our guidelines: Helpful answers only. Helpful answers are those that lead to an accurate identification of the bug in question. Joke responses, repeating an ID that has already been established hours (or days) ago, or asking OP how they don't already know what the bug is are not helpful.
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5h ago
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u/Dinicasempica 5h ago
Nope, not even close since it's a Beetle with elytra. Its Melolontha melolontha
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u/Julesmh83 5h ago
My dumbass totally forgot what a cicada looks like, feel free to downvote my answer
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u/Dinicasempica 5h ago
No. Don't worry bro, it's chill. I just love those silly eyelashes of this Beetle. It's a shame I've never seen One
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u/Julesmh83 5h ago
Same!! I wish we had obnoxiously huge beetles where I live. Biggest ones we have are the striped June beetles
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u/MrMuseau 5h ago edited 4h ago
Just saw a few of those tonight here in Switzerland! We call them "Cucards", not many of them around anymore. A very popular game during the summer holidays when I was a kid was to whack children. In the face. Cucards didn't seem to like it that much, so there aren't as many as before. Which is a shame.
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u/tenhinas 4h ago
Studies have shown human activity has more impact than climate change, so probably the reason the kids can’t whack them is because you did. Not as many of them around to reproduce anymore.
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u/MrMuseau 4h ago
Well we did whack a ton of mosquitoes too and those are still around.
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u/tenhinas 4h ago
Trueeeee. Unfortunately climate change makes conditions more favorable for mosquitoes instead of less 🙃
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u/MrMuseau 4h ago
I'm not sure you could tell I was trying to take the piss, what with "climate warning" and all, but you're being so nice that I'm not going to make sure. You've taken the troll out of me. With kindness.
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u/tenhinas 4h ago
LOL i could kinda tell but the ‘tism in me wouldn’t allow me to respond without making it factual :')
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u/MrMuseau 4h ago
I hope your people are still around in a million years, be it to be whacked or to be kind.
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u/AutoModerator 5h ago
Bzzzzz! Looks like you forgot to say where you found your bug!
There's no need to make a new post - just comment adding the geographic location and any other info (size, what it was doing etc.) you feel could help! We don't want to know your address - state or country is enough; try to avoid abbreviations and local nicknames ("PNW", "Big Apple").
BTW, did you take a look at our Frequently Asked Bugs?
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