432 



Insect Pests. 



all accounts I can gather it seems that this pest has decidedly 

 increased of late years in Great Britain. It is a general pest, 

 attacking, in its larval stage, all vegetation below ground ; the adults 

 are more particular in their food. 



LIFE-HISTORY AND HABITS. 



The Cock Chafer, also known as the Large Chafer, often reaches 

 1 inch in length. Its head and thorax are black, the elytra 



or wing cases reddish-brown, 

 each elytron with four raised 

 lines running longitudinally, the 

 elytra are hairy and do not en- 

 tirely cover the abdomen ; on 

 each side of the body are alter- 

 nate black and white patches ; 

 the legs are brown and hairy, and 

 the front tibia? have two spines 

 near the apex ; the body of the 

 female ends in a horny ovi- 

 positor ; the antenna 3 end in 

 seven leaf-like lamella? in the 

 male, six in the female ; these 

 plates open and close up like the 

 ribs of a fan. 



The Cock Chafer occurs in 

 May and June, mostly early in 

 the latter month. They are ex- 

 tremely sluggish during the day- 

 time, hiding under and amongst 

 dense foliage, often numbers to- 

 gether, holding on rather firmly 

 by their hooked claws. At night 

 they fly about with a heavy, 

 yet powerful flight, producing 

 a loud hum or whirl. The 

 female deposits her eggs in the 

 ground and especially in loose 

 soil. The eggs are often buried 7 or 8 inches deep. 



The eggs are large, about the size, and somewhat the shape, of a 

 hemp seed, creamy-white in colour. The grubs are thick, fleshy and 

 white in colour, the tail end is swollen and almost bladder-like and 

 semi-transparent, the black intestinal matter showing through, curved 



[F. Edenden. 

 FIG. 232. 



LARGE CHAFKK (Melolontha vulgaris). 

 SUMMER CHAFER (Rhizotrogus solstitialis). 

 GARDEN CHAFER (I'hyllopertha Jiorticola). 



