At the end of April, when the air finally warms up, the cockchafer, a large and beautiful insect that is one of the most voracious pests, emerges from the ground.
The beetle, whose second name is Khrushchev, flies up to 20 km a day, destroying succulent leaves, ovaries and flowers on its way.
Many different means are used in the fight against insects, but none of them can completely destroy beetles and their larvae.
May beetle (Khrushchev) - characteristics, description, appearance
The May beetle is a representative of the Coleoptera order, the Lamelidae family, and the Khrushchi subfamily.
It flies contrary to the law of aerodynamics, according to which the beetle has too short wings and weak muscles to be able to rise into the air.
However, while scientists are trying to unravel the secret of the unscientific features of the Khrushchev, it calmly flies 2 - 3 meters per second and continues to cause significant damage to forest and garden plantings.
Links and useful literature on the topic
- Johan Christian Fabricius. Systema entomologiae sistens insectorum classes, ordines genera, species, adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, observationibus. - Flensburg, Lipsia, 1775. - P. 31.
- May bug // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
- Medvedev S.I. Scarabaeidae // Key to insects of the European part of the USSR (edited by G. Bey-Bienko.) - Moscow-Leningrad, 1965
- Barton, K. Verfluchte Kreaturen: Lichtenbergs "Proben seltsamen Aberglaubens" und die Logik der Hexen- und Insektenverfolgung im "Malleus Maleficarum", in Joost, U.; Neumann, A. (eds): Lichtenberg-Jahrbuch 2004, p. 11ff, Saarbrücken 2004 (SDV Saarländische Druckerei und Verlag), ISBN 3-930843-87-0. online.
Author: Pavel Chaika, editor-in-chief of Poznavaika magazine
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June Bug (Cockchafer, May Beetle, Chafer Beetle).
External structure
The May Khrushchev is easy to recognize due to its large size (3–4 cm) and characteristic sound when flying.
Looking at a photo or drawing in a textbook, it becomes clear that its body is oval in shape and covered with small hair scales. The hair on the abdomen and head is longer.
The chitinous shell serves as reliable protection from external influences. In some individuals, the hair is so thick that it hides the real color of the body.
The insect's head has antennae: in females they consist of 6 plates, in males there are 7 such plates.
The beetle's eyes have a facet structure, each eye consisting of several thousand small eyes.
Due to the structural features of the body, the insect cannot turn its head in different directions, but its eyes have a fairly wide angle of vision. The type of mouthparts of the pest is gnawing.
The chest is divided into three sections, each of which has a pair of legs, the insect has a total of six of them. The wings of the Khrushchev are located on the back and middle parts. There are rigid elytra that perform protective functions.
The color of an insect depends on its membership in a particular species. In Russia, two types are most often found: western and eastern.
The first belongs to the thermophilic species and lives mainly in the forest and forest-steppe zones of the European part of the continent. It can be recognized by its black head and pronotum of the same color. His wings are light brown and reddish.
Western beetles eat only green leaves and fruit crops; they do not touch coniferous trees.
The oriental beetle is able to withstand low temperatures, so it can be found in the Urals and Siberia. Its color is much lighter than that of its western counterparts.
The favorite delicacy of the eastern beetle is tender young needles, but the insect does not disdain leafy crops.
Types, photos and names
To date, zoologists know 63 species of cockchafers; below we will describe the most interesting of them.
Eastern May Khrushchev
He is also the eastern May beetle, he is also the wild chestnut beetle. This species is characterized by pronounced sexual dimorphism; females are significantly smaller than males: 20-29 mm long in males versus 10-15 mm in females. It has a variable color, although in general brownish and red colors predominate. Also distinguished by its black antennae. The Oriental cockchafer is very numerous in Europe and Asia.
Western May Khrushchev
Also known as the Western cockchafer. It is longer in size than its eastern relative, with a strongly convex body. They are almost the same in size, but differ in some habits and details of appearance, for example, the Western Khrushchev in the spring appears 10 days later than the Eastern one, it is more thermophilic and likes to settle in fields. His antennae are not black, but light brown or reddish-brown. Lives in many European countries. In Ukraine, many beetles of this species live in the Odessa and Kherson regions, in the lower reaches of the Dniester.
Caucasian May Khrushchev
It is a representative of a rare species of May beetles. Currently it lives exclusively in the southwestern part of Germany and Austria. It differs from other species in having a short, more rounded pygidium. They also have whitish scales on the elytra, which sometimes almost completely hide their main color.
Internal structure
The internal organs of the cockchafer are well developed. Thanks to this, it adapts perfectly to various environmental conditions, including wintering in the soil.
Digestive system
An adult beetle bites off pieces of leaves with its powerful upper jaw, and crushes them with its lower jaw. Then the crushed food enters the esophagus, and from there into the stomach. Food processed to a pulp state enters the intestines, where it is absorbed.
Respiratory system
The insect breathes through the trachea - a network of branched tubes. Oxygen enters them through small holes - spiracles, which are located at the edges of the dorsal part of the abdomen.
Circulatory system
Khrushchev have an open circulatory system. Blood fills all tissues of insects with oxygen and nutrients, and carries waste products to the excretory organs.
The movement of blood is provided by the heart, which looks like a longitudinal tube.
Nervous system
The nervous system of an arthropod consists of the ventral nerve cord and the peripharyngeal ring. Nerve cells form the brain.
Excretory system
The excretory system of the cockchafer is represented by the so-called Malpighian vessels. These are thin tubes located inside the body.
The products of metabolic reactions are filtered on the surface of these tubes, then turn into crystals and are excreted through the intestines along with undigested food.
Sex organs and reproduction
Females have two ovaries, which pass into the oviducts. The bases of the ovaries merge and form a single oviduct through which the eggs emerge.
The sperm of the male enters a special organ of the female - the spermatic receptacle. They fertilize mature eggs.
The male's reproductive organs are two testes. They pass into the vas deferens, and then into the ejaculatory duct, through which sperm is released.
Sense organs
Well-developed sense organs help the beetle to navigate its environment: smell, vision and touch.
Antennae serve as organs of smell for beetles. They, like antennas of sorts, help insects smell food, for which they can fly up to 1 km.
For touch, they use small palps located on their oral appendages. Beetles use them to feel for food.
May beetle eye
The location and structure of the eyes allows the cockchafer to get a general idea of what is happening around. He distinguishes colors and notices any movement of objects in the immediate vicinity.
Habitat
The cockchafer lives almost everywhere, except in places where there is permafrost. In Russia it is distributed everywhere, including Yakutia.
The eastern species likes to settle in high treetops, while the western species prefers hills and hills to live.
The larva remains underground until the adult hatches: in the spring it moves closer to the roots, and in the winter it goes to a depth of 1 m.
How to deal with pests?
Gardeners use comprehensive control measures. In late spring and summer, the larvae crawl closer to warmth, and at this time they dig the ground for planting. It is easy to find them on the surface and destroy them, the number is significantly reduced. Khrushchev do not like nitrogen; experienced gardeners recommend planting white clover around the perimeter of the territory, which makes nitrogen available to the soil.
Insects do not like the smells of lupine, elderberry and cruciferous vegetables (various varieties of cabbage). Attract starlings to the area and feed hedgehogs. Treat the ground with a solution of onion peels. Add husks 1/3 full into the bucket, cover with warm water and leave for 5 days. After this, dilute the solution with water 1:1 and water the soil.
You can make a light trap. Coat a bucket with any sticky liquid and place a light source inside. In the morning you will find a lot of fighters and not only cockchafers. Mulch the ground so that females cannot lay eggs, cover with a layer of sawdust, bark, straw, acrylic and other materials.
Use industrial insecticides between the rows: Antikhrushch, Nemabakt, Bazudin, Zemlin. They rid greens of pests and are also safe for pets and humans.
Nutrition
The cockchafer causes great damage to deciduous and mixed forests, fruit and berry crops. It feeds on leaves, flowers, and damages ovaries.
His favorite delicacies are plum, apple, cherry, hazelnut and walnut; he loves oak and birch. The foliage of shrubs also serves as food for the beetle, and pine needles are also suitable for the eastern species. It eats everything suitable for food in one area, then flies to another.
Nurseries especially suffer from beetle infestations, as they can completely gnaw away young seedlings. The only plants that the insect does not eat are lilac and ash.
The larvae damage the roots of young trees, cereals and vegetables, causing the plants to die. These nasty-looking, translucent worms (popularly called “chrobak” or “furrowworm”) are well known to gardeners. If measures are not taken against them in time, they can destroy all seedlings.
Description of the pest
May beetle (Melolontha hippocastani) is one of 24 representatives of the genus Melolontha, belongs to the class Insects, species Arthropods. They are most often found in Asia, Northern and Central Europe, preferring to live in forests, forest-steppes, fruit and berry plantations and shrubs. Here they feed on young leaves, causing enormous damage to all plants.
Khrushchev is characterized by color dimorphism, which means it is divided into 2 color varieties:
- red with red legs and dorsum (rex), lives in the northern regions, and prefers to live in open areas, without shade;
- black with black legs and foreback (nigripes), which lives in the southern area in shaded places.
In the middle zone, both species are equally common.
Life cycle of Khrushchev
The lifespan of a beetle is almost 5 years, of which the life of an adult beetle is only a few months.
The life cycle of an insect consists of 4 stages:
- Egg.
Females lay a small number of eggs; in fertile and loose soil, almost all of them are preserved and mature. The larva emerges from the embryo after 1 - 1.5 months. This is a white translucent C-shaped worm.
- Larva.
This stage lasts up to 4 years. During that time, the hrobak manages to cause significant harm to agriculture. If in the first year of life it is quite harmless and feeds on plant debris, then from the second and third years it becomes a full-fledged pest, capable of chewing not only the roots of seedlings, but also the roots of seedlings. The larva can grow up to 6 cm in length.
- Pupation.
The insect remains in this stage of development for no longer than 30–45 days. The pupa does not move, does not feed. The developing parts of an adult beetle are visible through the transparent covers.
- Imago (sexually mature individual).
By the end of summer, adults emerge from the pupae. They do not rise to the surface of the earth, but, on the contrary, go deeper and prepare for wintering. In the spring, when the ground warms up well, the beetle emerges from the soil and rushes to the trees. Then the beetles find sexual partners and mate. Females burrow into the soil and lay eggs. After the oviposition process, the beetles die, surviving until at least the beginning of July.
Fighting methods
How to destroy the cockchafer? The fight against the cockchafer and its larvae must be comprehensive .
Lures
Large containers with a small amount of kvass, beer or fermented jam . Attracted by the aroma, insects will fly into the garden and, once inside the bait, will no longer be able to get out.
This method will become a distraction for the beetles, preventing them not only from eating tree leaves, but also from landing on the ground in the garden to lay eggs. Large plastic bottles (2-4 liters) are quite suitable for this
Carefully cut off the top of the bottle, where the neck begins, so that cockchafers can easily get inside. Each container should be 1/4 or 1/3 filled with the bait drink.
The next day, remove the containers and take out the caught beetles (up to 20 pieces can accumulate in one), change the bait and hang them on the trees again. To ensure that the beetles cannot get out of the bottle, coat the inner edges with rich cream or cut out the cloves-stakes, bending them inward, towards the bottom.
How to make syrup bait - photo:
For female beetles, you can arrange “long-lasting” bait by distributing heaps of compost or manure in several places in the garden. The beetles will determine these sectors as the most favorable for future offspring, and will lay eggs underground near them.
With the onset of autumn, the first larvae will appear, which can be dug up and destroyed . Up to several dozen pests can be found under one such pile of manure.
Traps
The first and simplest type of trap for beetles does not require any special expenses. It is enough to hang a lantern against the wall and place a bucket of water and kerosene . Attracted by bright light, cockchafers will hit an obstacle and subsequently die in a bucket or basin with liquid.
The second method is more effective and clever. As a deep container, you can take a three-liter jar , and place a plastic or metal funnel with a wide tip in the throat (so that the beetles fall freely to the bottom of the container). A bright light bulb is suspended from above the trap . When morning comes, you can already get a good catch of May beetles from the jar.
Another most economical type of trapping is a combination of the first method and glue. A light source is placed in a bucket or other container with high, wide walls (you can make a hole in the base of an old bucket and attach a lamp there, excluding cracks and gaps for beetles to escape), and the edges of the container are smeared 4-8 cm with a thick layer of cream , grease or special insect repellent glue . Once at the bottom of the bucket, cockchafers simply will not be able to get out due to the slippery and high walls.
Light trap option - photo:
If your site does not have any wall against which insects attracted by the light could hit, stretch a thick white fabric . Any blanket or old sheet will do. By directing a beam of light onto the canvas, you will attract just as many insects.
Avoid following innovative tips such as placing adhesive films on the ground near lights or beer baits. When sunrise comes, you run the risk of finding innocent pets or hedgehogs caught in a sticky trap.
Manually
One of the most time-consuming and tedious methods is the eradication of larvae that have not yet become adults . Digging up 10-40 cm of soil between rows of garden plantings will allow you to find beetle larvae that have settled deep under the soil, spoiling potato tubers or gnawing through the roots of other plants. It will not be possible to catch all the pests, but it will partially reduce the population, increasing the chances of saving the crop.
Natural enemies
The most environmentally friendly and safest method is to release natural predators , whose diet includes the cockchafer. Among them are hedgehogs, moles and birds . Gardeners told of cases when their pets (cats and dogs), out of sporting interest, caught insects on the fly and brought them to their owners.
To attract starlings, thrushes and other birds, you can install a drinking bowl and a bathhouse , and also hang birdhouses . Regular feeding will let birds know that there are tasty insects in your garden, but it may create another problem. As soon as you get rid of the beetle, you will have to look for ways to protect the seeds and berries from the feathered saviors.
Chemicals
The enteric contact agents “Aktara” and “Confidor” are effective against beetles.
They are introduced into the soil in the form of a solution diluted with water, then penetrate into the plants, from there, entering the body of voracious beetles with eaten leaves and stems, blocking the feeding centers after a few hours.
After a day or two, the insects simply die of hunger . You can learn more about the means of combating the cockchafer and its larvae from our article.
Fighting cockchafer larvae
To get rid of beetle larvae, use the following means:
- "Zemlin";
- "Pochin";
- "Bazudin";
- "Aktara";
- "Anti-Khrushch."
Thanks to the active substance, these drugs penetrate deep into the soil and destroy pests.
There are drugs that attract larvae by smell. They are added to the holes with seedlings. The larva eats the poison and dies. Such drugs include “Rembek”.
The safest remedy for humans is Nematode. This biological preparation destroys up to 90% of larvae in the soil. You can also fight the larvae with folk remedies, the most effective of which is considered to be an infusion of onion peels.
What do larvae eat at home?
Khrushchev bait.
Fishermen are very happy with the beetle larvae. These thick worms make excellent bait. Therefore, many fishermen collect them in the fall and leave them until spring.
In such cases, they are placed in a jar with sawdust and lowered into the cellar so that the larvae feel as if they were in their natural environment in winter. In the spring, before the planned start of fishing, the container with feeding is taken out and cottage cheese is added. From such food, the beetles become large and white - an excellent bait.
Interesting facts about the cockchafer
The only benefit from cockchafers, or rather, from their larvae, is that they are excellent for fishing bait. According to fishermen, bream, ide, chub and perch are well caught using larvae.
Khrushchev fly contrary to the laws of physics. Scientists cannot understand how the thin wings lift three times as much weight into the air as they should.
It has also been proven that these insects cannot be knocked off course by any tricks; they still return to their route and are well oriented in the area.
Lifestyle
In the spring, when green leaves begin to bloom on the trees, male cockchafers appear. After 7-10 days, females join them. Many species of cockchafers are especially active at night and in the evening. Some beetles fly actively even in the morning hours before dawn; sometimes they are attracted to artificial light sources. But during the day, especially after eating, the beetles, on the contrary, slow down their activity.
During its short terrestrial life of 30-40 days, the cockchafer nevertheless actively flies; in search of food, it can fly up to 20 km in a day, developing a speed of 8-11 km per hour. During the flight, the Khrushchevs buzz loudly; it is this feature that was aptly noted by the great Ukrainian poet T. Shevchenko.
