Another what's this?

Blimey , just let the dog out , and on the threshold is this beetle ! Threshold strip is 2 1/2 " wide , so the bug is about the size of a £2 coin ... What is it ? Maybug?  Click pic , scare yourself !

Edited By Hacksaw on 08/05/2018 23:58:51

Yes, it's the May bug or cockchafer. Are you in or near the countryside?

Aye , country boy me . East Sussex nr Ashdown Forest , but I've never seen a beetle like that or that big !

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Looks like it

**LINK**

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockchafer

MichaelG.

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Bill beat me to it 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 09/05/2018 00:07:27

Damn ,it's a pest ! I should have stamped on it ! Still ...no potatoes here, I expect the toad that lives on the flower bed will eat it

Sorry, Michael. Didn't intend to "bug" you that way.

Hacksaw, I know it can be an economic pest, but I've fond memories of walking down a Devon lane in my youth and getting buzzed by chafers, while a badger family (also pests!) lolloped along a few yards in front of me and a cirl bunting (which is what I most wanted to see there) "sang" on a hedge top a short distance away. It was a far cry from suburban Manchester where I am now. I'd swap your chafers for some of the human pests we get in my neighbourhood any day.

I used to ride motorcycles. One time I was approaching the outskirts of Southampton, doing about 60/70mph. As it was late Spring, early Summer I had the collar of my jacket undone. Suddenly I heard a whirr, saw something about 40mm long (ish, it happened VERY quickly!!) and it hit my adams apple. I thought I was going to die, the shock and pain was something else. Pulled over to the side of the road and tried to get my breath back, which took about 5 minutes. After some thought and talking about it with friends, I came to the conclusion that I had collided with a Maybug. From then on I wore a scarf to seal the gap between jacket and helmet, even in Australia when it was over 40 degrees!!

cheers

Bill

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Although I have never met one in the wild; Hacksaw's image brought back memories of a great little book that I bought 50+ years ago, which pictured a cockchafer with antennae spread like fans.

O.R. Croy : Camera Close Up

Insect photography has moved-on a lot since then, but Croy's craft remains inspirational.

MichaelG.

As I was fiddling with the macro photography stuff, this ambled across the conservatory floor:

No idea what species it is, about 2/3 the size of a cock-chafer.

Rod

Talking of giant insects, about 30 years ago, while climbing a wooden fence while out fishing, I dislodged a giant chrysalis. As I couldn't return it to the spot where it had attached itself, I dropped it in my pocket and left it in a cardboard box in the workshop when I got home. A few days later I found a beautiful privet hawk moth perched on the window sill. It had a wing span of over four inches, and a banded, pink and black body. I left the window open in the hope that it would fly away, and next day it had gone. I still hope it survived, because we were experiencing a long, cold spring.

Its that time of year again. For about 2 or 3 days we get these things. They rattle the windows when they fly into them. When they fall onto their backs they are stuck there. The cats love to play with them. UGH

This thing flew in from Titan about this time last year :-

Never did establish the species...

It's a rose chafer, I'd say, Rod. Not that common. I've seen them, but not for a few years now.

I got a hornet on my top lip whilst going quite quickly down a French Autoroute, now that did hurt. Swelled up spectacularly, but didn't last long.

I drove the mates Lambretta Li 200 to Glencoe for a weekend's climbing as he only had a provisional. Flying up Loch Lomondside I spotted something black heading for my head and ducked, a blackbird hit the mate in the throat and he didn't speak again to me all weekend, bliss, he was none the worse for my ducking though.

I had the misfortune to hit a few things...the previously mentioned maybug, then one time I was heading home at about 3a.m., howling down a beautiful sweepy "motorbike" road at about 90mph, 100w halogen main + 100w halogen driving lamp burning a hole in the pitch black, when I saw a big white thing directly in front. Just had time to duck, it hit my helmet, which became full of feathers. I wobbled to a stop, it took about five minutes before my hands stopped shaking, so I could light a cigarette. Realised I had hit a barn owl. Hope it was ok. Then easing sedately down a country lane near Bath, a pheasant burst out of a hedgerow. I just caught, brushed really, its rear end with my arm, but got the tail feathers across my chest. The first thing that went though my mind was the old one about the pheasant plucker. Still hate pheasants!!

cheers

Bill

While in Hong Kong the may Bug season was interesting, they flew at night attracted by the lights and would come into the barrack room and the ceiling fans would flick them across the room and the lads would hold up the bed cover to catch or deflect them as they were smashed and made a mess.

Re the M/cycle impacts. riding in the early evening in the New Territories I was hit by a Rhino beetle, big black heavy things, a glancing blow but no damage. They too would congregate around the security lights in the Tank park and in the morning would be stuck in the protective mesh over the lamps, feet going like mad but unable to extract themselves, hawks would take them away. during the day.

I was riding up the A5 and I saw a Weasel come out and it went though my front wheel spokes, often thought about that.

Edited By Clive Hartland on 10/05/2018 08:22:04

On August 3 1945 I was stung on my right hand by a hornet. How do I remember an incident when I was 4? Because it was the day my sister was born. I was told in later years the swelling was spectacular I think I got as much attention as the new baby!

Edited By Mike on 10/05/2018 09:04:18

Been hit by a Maybug while riding a M/c, not pleasant. Worst by far was a large egg, in the face, while riding under some trees. Don't know what the egg was except it was big and took a lot of cleaning, especially the goggles.

From time to time I used to get attacked by a badger on my bike on the way back from the local pub. Clearly it identified me as a rival that needed seeing to. It would rush out from the hedgerow but generally not make it too close. Hit it a glancing blow once but luckily neither party came to grief.

Murray