Common Cockchafer Pupa
Melolontha melolontha (pupa)
The pupa rests in an earthen chamber below ground, usually after the mature grub has stopped feeding. It does not hunt or forage, instead transforming into the adult beetle while protected by the surrounding soil. Its only movement is limited wriggling when disturbed. This hidden stage is brief compared with the larval years but crucial for forming wings, legs, and hardened adult body plates.
- Type
- Burrow
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- Common Cockchafer Larva
- Common Cockchafer Pupa
- Common Cockchafer