Melolontha melolontha (Linnaeus, 1758)
(Common Cockchafer, May Bug)

Interactions where Melolontha melolontha is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
adult (swarming) swarming adult may be found on canopy Quercus oaks Fagales: Fagaceae Pests, Diseases & Disorders of Garden Plants, Buczacki, S. & Harris, K., 1998
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Scarabaeidae/Melolontha melolontha/Melolontha melolonthacommon cockchafer, May bugswarmingadult Plant / resting place / on /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Fagales/Fagaceae/Quercus/Quercusoakscanopy (5-6)
adult (swarming) swarming adult may be found on canopy Malus apples Rosales: Rosaceae Pests, Diseases & Disorders of Garden Plants, Buczacki, S. & Harris, K., 1998
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Scarabaeidae/Melolontha melolontha/Melolontha melolonthacommon cockchafer, May bugswarmingadult Plant / resting place / on /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Rosales/Rosaceae/Malus/Malusapplescanopy (5-6)
adult (swarming) swarming adult may be found on canopy [Broadleaved trees] broadleaved, frondose or deciduous trees Pests, Diseases & Disorders of Garden Plants, Buczacki, S. & Harris, K., 1998
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Scarabaeidae/Melolontha melolontha/Melolontha melolonthacommon cockchafer, May bugswarmingadult Plant / resting place / on /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Broadleaved trees/Broadleaved treesbroadleaved, frondose or deciduous treescanopy (5-6)

Interactions where Melolontha melolontha is the victim or passive partner (and generally loses out from the process)

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Filters:

Affected Part Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season Summary
larva is endoparasitoid host of larva Dexia rustica a parasitoid fly Diptera: Tachinidae Tachinid Flies (Diptera: Tachinidae), Belshaw, R., 1993
Notes on the biology of Dexia rustica F., a dipterous parasite of Melolontha melolontha, Walker, M.G., 1943
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Diptera/Tachinidae/Dexia rustica/Dexia rusticaa parasitoid flylarva Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Scarabaeidae/Melolontha melolontha/Melolontha melolonthacommon cockchafer, May buglarva larva is endoparasitoid of larva
larva is endoparasitoid host of larva ForeignQuestionable Dexiosoma caninum a parasitoid fly Diptera: Tachinidae Tachinid Flies (Diptera: Tachinidae), Belshaw, R., 1993
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Diptera/Tachinidae/Dexiosoma caninum/Dexiosoma caninuma parasitoid flylarva Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoidForeign /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Scarabaeidae/Melolontha melolontha/Melolontha melolonthacommon cockchafer, May bug?larva larva is endoparasitoid of larva
larva may be infected by Steinernema carpocapsae an eelworm Pests, Diseases & Disorders of Garden Plants, Buczacki, S. & Harris, K., 1998
 /Animalia/Nematoda/Steinernema carpocapsae/Steinernema carpocapsaean eelworm Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Scarabaeidae/Melolontha melolontha/Melolontha melolonthacommon cockchafer, May buglarva infects larva

Author & YearTitleSource
Belshaw, R., 1993Tachinid Flies (Diptera: Tachinidae)Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, Vol 10, Part 4a(i), 169pp, The Royal Entomological Society of London
Buczacki, S. & Harris, K., 1998Pests, Diseases & Disorders of Garden PlantsCollins Photoguide, 2nd edition edition, Collins
Walker, M.G., 1943Notes on the biology of Dexia rustica F., a dipterous parasite of Melolontha melolonthaProceedings of the Zoological Society of London. Series A. 113: 126-176.

Melolontha melolontha (Common Cockchafer, May Bug) may also be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Melolontha melolontha (Common Cockchafer, May Bug) may also be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesMelolontha melolontha (Common Cockchafer, May Bug)
GenusMelolontha (cockchafers)
SubfamilyMELOLONTHINAE (cockchafers)
FamilySCARABAEIDAE (scarab, dung and carrion beetles)
SuperfamilySCARABAEOIDEA (scarabs, dung and stag beetles)
Series Scarabaeiformia (scarabs, dung and stag beetles)
SuborderPOLYPHAGA (mainly terrestrial beetles)
OrderCOLEOPTERA (beetles)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Melolontha melolontha (Common Cockchafer, May Bug)

Identification Works

Handling & MagnificationAuthorYearTitleSource
Cooter, J. & Barclay M.V.L. (eds) 2006 A Coleopterist’s handbook The Amateur Entomolgist, 11, Fourth Edition edition, 439pp, Amateur Entomologists’ Society
Revels, R. 2005 Male Cockchafer Vol 16, No. 6 Page: Front cover

Melolontha melolontha (Common Cockchafer, May Bug) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

General Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Walker, M.G. 1943 Notes on the biology of Dexia rustica F., a dipterous parasite of Melolontha melolontha Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. Series A. 113: 126-176.

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may also be relevant to Melolontha melolontha (Common Cockchafer, May Bug):

BioImagesBioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk) has 32 images of Melolontha melolontha (Common Cockchafer, May Bug)
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