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Summer Chafer Amphimallon solstitiale (Linnaeus, 1758)

• (l) Cambridge, garden, 20 Jul 2001
  (r) Cambridge, Parker's Piece TL455581, 14 Jul 2002
• Family Scarabaeidae.
• Can swarm in considerable numbers. The one on the right was one of several hundred on Parker's Piece on the evening of the Big Day out fair, being a nuisance by getting in people's clothes, hair and food!
• The three-bladed antenna can just be distinguished in the one on the right.
• Mostly eastern. NBN Atlas

Welsh Chafer Hoplia philanthus (Füessly, 1775)

East Pit, Cherry Hinton, TL484558. 30 Jun 2015 The single long hind claws are distinctive Larvae food includes grass roots, so can be a problem in sports turf and lawns. Throughout England & Wales (the reason for calling it Welsh Chafer is lost in history) NBN Atlas

Acrossus rufipes (Linnaeus, 1758)

Trumpington Meadows TL432533. 10 Oct 2016 Subfamily Aphodiinae. Known as Aphodius rufipes until recently. Found in horse and cattle dung and among the first species to arrive at fresh dung. NBN Atlas

Agrilinus ater (De Geer, 1774)

Cambridge, garden. 22 May 2016 Known as Aphodius ater until recently. Smaller than Teuchestes fossor below at 4-6mm, pronotum heavily punctured. Found in various types of dung and decaying vegetable matter. NBN Atlas

Melinopterus prodromus (Brahm, 1790)

Trumpington Meadows, Cambridge TL432533: 10 Oct 2016 Known as Aphodius prodromus until recently. Adults are general dung feeders but they also polyphagous and occur among compost and decaying vegetation generally. NBN Atlas

Nimbus obliteratus (Panzer, 1823)

Cambridge, garden. 8 Oct 2015 One of a couple of species of lighter coloured dung beetles. Known until recently as Aphodius obliteratus. NBN Atlas

Teuchestes fossor (Linnaeus, 1758)

Stourbridge Common, TL469597. 26 Jul 2016 Large (usually 9-12mm) and common beetle found on wet dung of horses and cattle. Known until recently as Aphodius fossor. NBN Atlas

Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Adams Road sanctuary, Cambridge TL436587: 25 May 2023 Family: Lucanidae The natural habitat is woodland, wooded parkland and gardens and it is a common urban species. Adults feed on sap, larvae bore in wood. NBN Atlas

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