It Must be May

Whilst digging out some of my very old and very large compost heap this week I found this handsome beetle. He was about an inch long with bright orange feelers.

It turns out it is a May bug, or Cockchafer - true name Melolontha melolontha. As the common name suggests they appear first in May and only live for a month or two.

The beetle itself is not a serious pest, but its grubs are as they feed underground on plant roots - often potatoes, and can damage crops. The grubs take 3-4 years to develop into adults and emerge in spring.

Submitted by Gillian, plot 7A