25 most spectacular and beautiful Beetle Species
19. Cockchafers
Side view of a cockchafer on a leaf
Dakó István / Getty Images
Also known as doodlebugs or maybugs, cockchafers (encompassing three species, belonging to the genus Melolontha) are easily identified by the distinctive "leaves" protruding from their antennae. These flamboyantly coiffed beetles once existed in great numbers throughout Europe, and their voracious appetites made them a common agricultural nuisance. That is, until the rise of widespread insecticide use in the mid-20th century caused their numbers to dramatically decline.2
Despite their near eradication, tighter regulation of the pest control industry beginning in the 1980s has allowed cockchafer populations to gradually recover in some regions.
Side view of a cockchafer on a leaf
Dakó István / Getty Images
Also known as doodlebugs or maybugs, cockchafers (encompassing three species, belonging to the genus Melolontha) are easily identified by the distinctive "leaves" protruding from their antennae. These flamboyantly coiffed beetles once existed in great numbers throughout Europe, and their voracious appetites made them a common agricultural nuisance. That is, until the rise of widespread insecticide use in the mid-20th century caused their numbers to dramatically decline.2
Despite their near eradication, tighter regulation of the pest control industry beginning in the 1980s has allowed cockchafer populations to gradually recover in some regions.
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12 January 2023
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