Bronzovka and the Maybug: why they confuse different beetles
In the summer you often go and get a light kick from a green beetle. Then he falls and lies upside down for a long time, pretending to be dead. This is a bronze beetle, which is often called the May beetle.
Content
Characteristics of beetles
May beetle and bronzovka are different representatives of insects. Although they both species are selected for their possessions in warm weather. They love beautiful flowers and usually don't spread far enough to cause great harm.
But the bronzovka and the cockchafer are completely different insects!
What does bronze look like?
Golden bronze.
Bronze - the insect looks attractive due to its unusual color. It looks like a beautiful gem. The beetle has very developed aesthetic feelings - it likes to dwell and feast on light, fragrant flowers.
Bronze larvae are plump, slightly curved, whitish-yellow. They live in manure heaps, compost, rotting wood. The pupa is similar in shape to an adult beetle.
Who is the Maybug
Chafer.
Maybug - a large insect, most often brown in color. It is covered with scales and hairs. He likes to eat the leaves of various plants. Many birds eat them with pleasure.
May beetle larvae are pests to a greater extent. They go through three ages, and the last ones are the most harmful. The larvae of the beetle feed on the roots of many plants.
May beetle and bronzovka: similarities and differences
Adult individuals are very easy to distinguish. A distinctive feature of bronzes is a metallic sheen. Moreover, depending on the type, shades may differ, bronzes can even be divorced or stained, but there is always shine.
May beetles are most often black, brown or yellow-brown. But they are distinguished by a large number of small thick hairs. The same furry coating is on the paws. On the chest, the hair is much longer.
How to distinguish larvae
Larvae of the May beetle and bronzovka.
The larvae are more similar to each other. They are both whitish, with legs and a prominent head. But they have a completely different diet, as well as lifestyle.
Bronze larvae are useful inhabitants of compost heaps, mulch beds and hay piles.
May beetle larvae are pests. They eat the roots of plants that they can get their hands on. Even one thick larva can eat a huge area and harm the crop.
More details about the differences between the two larvae in the portal article.
Conclusion
The May beetle and bronzes are undeservedly attributed to relatives or even confused with one another. But in fact, these are completely different representatives of insects.
