Unknown insect nearly hit me on the head

[Skyedriver]

Landed at my feet, had the feeling it may have been dropped by a bird maybe? Seems 3/4 dead. Has strange feathery "antlers" but they are tucked away in the photo. Is about 25 - 30mm in length.

Any ideas what it is?

THanks

[s m]

Looks like a cockchafer

[otolith]

It’s a cockchafer or May bug.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockchafer

[MOBB]

s m said:

Looks like a cockchafer

It would

[Boosted LS1]

A female.

[Skyedriver]

Thanks, so that's what the little bstds look like once developed. I'm plagued with the grubs under the grass and in the flower beds.
Off out to terminate it.

[Boosted LS1]

It won't be plaguing your lawn. Don't think they're especially common. I once saw a male, stunning creature. They probably eat a lot of things you don't want in your garden. Beetles are voracious hunters.

[otolith]

Boosted LS1 said:

It won't be plaguing your lawn. Don't think they're especially common. I once saw a male, stunning creature. They probably eat a lot of things you don't want in your garden. Beetles are voracious hunters.

There are a number of carnivorous ground beetles which do eat garden pests, however cockchafers are vegetarian as larvae and adults, and the larvae in particular are significant agricultural and garden pests.

They are less common than they used to be due to widespread use of pesticides to kill them.

I was once in rural France when there was a massive hatch of the things, you couldn't walk without crunching and there were frogs (the amphibian kind) out devouring them.

[JeremyBearimy]

Bats adore them and they like to live in your ivy.

I am a big fan, although, granted, the first time i saw one i ran away and shut the door quickly behind me, but it managed to get under the door!!!
A bit of googling and i quite like them now, their little faces are quite cute really.

[Turn7]

Seems to be a fair few about this year....MrsT7 had one land on her the other evening,

[rallye101]

Maybug...100%

bd cat leaves chewed up remains on my bed each May

[s m]

Rooks love the grubs
They call them rookworms

[otolith]

s m said:

Rooks love the grubs
They call them rookworms

So do foxes and badgers, they are nature's frozen sausages.

[Lotobear]

Cockchafer or June Bug,

Quite rare that far north (used to be largely restricted to home counties/midlands). I've been digging a few of the grubs up while gardening this week - massive things redolent of a bush tucker trial.

If you get an infestation in the lawn they can cause serious damage.

[chemistry]

otolith said:

they are nature's frozen sausages.