Whoah! What is this bug?

[HarryandNess]

Does anyone know what this bug is that I've just rescued from our water butt? It's about an inch long and I've only ever seen one once, last year. That one fried as it flew through a torch in the garden. They seem Kamikazee. Is it a goody or a baddy? If it's a baddy I'll probably relocate it far away from here. It's now in a pot with some soil & greenery, with a lid on
Thanks
Ness

[Conifers]

Cockchafer Melolontha melolontha. Once an abundant agricultural pest, but now very rare and endangered due to agricultural intensification and over-use of pesticides.

[gdudey]

Cockchafer? Don't let it get in the washing.

[Conifers]

Some info here

[kata]

Cockchafer? Don't let it get in the washing.

[fieldfest]

may bugs, horrible things they fly right in your face

[HarryandNess]

Cockchafer Melolontha melolontha. Once an abundant agricultural pest, but now very rare and endangered due to agricultural intensification and over-use of pesticides.

Thanks Conny, you're a mine of information

Cockchafer? Don't let it get in the washing.

I'm going to keep until tomorrow then drive it a couple of miles away & let it go. The only thing that bothers me is this: I saw one last year, so are there lots of young ones chomping away on my plant's roots? I wonder if they like colocasias etc?

Ness

[HarryandNess]

may bugs, horrible things they fly right in your face

I really like it but I would jump out of my skin if one hit me in the face!

Ness

[flounder]

Yeah the're great fun. They fly like a brick

[photonbucket]

That's funny, I call them June Bugs, or even July bugs. Are they all one and the same?

[andyb]

That's funny, I call them June Bugs, or even July bugs. Are they all one and the same?

I call them June Bugs too, used to be millions around in summer when i was a kid

[flounder]

May bugs round here. My missus hates them, keeps saying they're going to get caught in her hair
Don't half make you jump when they hit the window

[Saslowi]

As kids we used to call them doodlebugs (after the German flying bombs) because of the noise they make when in flight.

Do not do damage to garden plants and pretty harmless.

[countrylover]

Cockchafer Melolontha melolontha. Once an abundant agricultural pest, but now very rare and endangered due to agricultural intensification and over-use of pesticides.

WHAT???????? come on over and I'll give you 2 or 10 millions of them b@st@rds

[flounder]

Rather have them than slugs and snails