European june beetle

(Amphimallon solstitiale)

galery

Description

Amphimallon solstitiale, also known as the summer chafer or European june beetle, is a beetle similar to the cockchafer but much smaller, approximately 20 millimetres (0.79 in) in length. They are declining in numbers now, but where found they are often seen in large numbers. At dusk they actively fly around tree tops looking for a mate and can often be found drowning in pools of water the following morning. They are also attracted to light and come in through open, lit windows and fly around lamps, making quite a racket while bumping into lights. They are found throughout the Palearctic region, commonly seen from June to August, living in meadows, hedgerows, and gardens, and eating plants and tree foliage. The species can be found in such countries as Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, France, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany, southern parts of Russia, Mexico and Great Britain.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:
Class: Insecta
Order:Coleoptera
Family:Melolonthidae
Genus:Amphimallon
News coming your way
The biggest news about our planet delivered to you each day