Long seen as a pest and so ubiquitous, especially in this area, that they are rarely noted, there is a lot more to this humble beetle. Like many people, my first encounter this year was last week, when I put out the moth trap for the first time (more in hope than expectation). We managed one very nice Alder Kitten (lovely moth, terrible name), but nestling amongst the egg boxes was a mass of cockchafers. There they were all groggy and gleaming, resembling beech masts.

Normally I wouldn’t have given them a second glance but perhaps because of the lack of moths we decided to have a go photographing them. As with most insects the closer you look the more interesting they become, with beautiful iridescence and well-defined stripes across the back. I also noticed the purplish “tail” often confused with a sting, leading to myths that they do sting. It is in fact the pygidium or last segment of the abdomen that contains the ovipositor and helps the female lay eggs deep into the soil. I also realised I knew absolutely nothing about them.

The cockchafer has a three-year life cycle. Adults typically emerge in May and live between one and two months in which time they mate and the eggs are laid. The grubs (often known as rookworms as they are seen as a favourite food of rooks) feed on the roots of plants (hence being considered a pest) and over winter before eventually pupating and then emerging as adults.

Cockchafers have become part of our cultural fabric. Also known as doodlebugs, because of their buzzing flight they gave their name to the V1 rockets from the Second Word War. Navy ships have been named after them.  Nikola Tesla reputedly made an engine out of four of them as a child. They have also given me one of my most memorable wildlife encounters. Many years ago I was out on a first date, a walk followed by a pub meal. I was living in Hampshire at the time and I’d borrowed a friend’s convertible to drive to Danebury Hillfort in Hampshire. No sooner had we started the climb then we got hit and then hit again. Soon we were in the middle of plague of biblical proportions. What struck me (apart from the cockchafers) is not for a minute did either of us not want to carry on. And yes we did get married and we have had many amazing wildlife experiences since but that will always stay with us.

So like a bluebell or a swallow there is something quintessentially comforting about the first cockchafer signalling the summer to come. I always think they, along with the crane fly frame the start and the end of the summer. So let’s hear it for the cockchafer, the may bug, the doodle bug, the mitchamador, the billy witch, the spang beetle and may you bash into us for many years to come.