Our object this week is a small furry animal with an ill founded reputation. Do you know what it is?

Did you know what last week’s object of the week was?

Cockchafer (or May bug)

Well done if you knew that our featured object last week was a Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha). They beetles are sometimes called May bugs because this is when they tend to eappear, but the cold weather this year has delayed their emergence.

Identification forums in May/June always have several people asking what this strange brown beetle is that has flown in their window at night. The adults are about an inch long and have beautiful fan-like antennae.

Their larvae are large white grubs that feed underground on plant roots and can take up to five years to develop. Cockchafers used to be much more abundant and were common agricultural pests in the UK.