Common Cockchafer: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Tiny Builders · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. Huge numbers of cockchafers appear every three or four years. In the past, a longer cycle of about 30 to 40 years brought extra-big swarms.
2. Male cockchafers have seven leaf-like plates on each antenna. Females have only six.
3. Adult cockchafers rarely travel far, usually staying within two to three kilometres of where they hatched.
4. Male cockchafers find females by sensing a sex pheromone called toluquinone together with scents given off by leaves.
5. Cockchafer grubs live underground for three to four years, five in colder climates, and reach about 4-5 cm long.

The quiz

1. How often do cockchafers appear in massive numbers?

• Every three to four years (correct)
• Every year
• Every ten years
• Every hundred years

Particularly large emergences happen every three or four years.

2. How many leaf-like plates does a male cockchafer have on each antenna?

• Three
• Six
• Seven (correct)
• Twelve

Males have seven plates on each antenna, females six.

3. How far do adult cockchafers usually stay from where they hatched?

• Within a few metres
• Within two to three kilometres (correct)
• Over 100 kilometres
• They cross whole countries

Adults rarely travel far, staying within two to three kilometres.

4. What helps male cockchafers find females?

• Bright flashes of light
• Loud buzzing calls
• Water vibrations
• A pheromone plus leaf scents (correct)

Males sense a pheromone together with scents given off by leaves.

5. How long can cockchafer grubs reach?

• About 4-5 cm (correct)
• About 4-5 mm
• About 15 cm
• About 1 m

The grubs reach about 4-5 cm.

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