cockchafer

American  

[kok-chey-fer] / ˈkɒkˌtʃeɪ fər /

noun

1. any of certain scarab beetles, especially the European species, Melolontha melolontha, which is very destructive to forest trees.

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cockchafer British  

/ ˈkɒkˌtʃeɪfə /

noun

1. Also called: May beetle.   May bug.  any of various Old World scarabaeid beetles, esp Melolontha melolontha of Europe, whose larvae feed on crops and grasses

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Etymology

Origin of cockchafer

1685–95; cock ¹ (with reference to its size) + chafer

Example Sentences

In third grade, he brought in a cockchafer beetle grub for show-and-tell, hoping to impress his classmates.

From New York Times

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had a cockchafer on my wall.

From The Guardian

For the unfamiliar, a cockchafer could be mistaken for a water bug but is in fact a giant beetle.

From US News

The humming of the screws overhead dropped an octave and a half, back through wasp and hornet to bumble bee, to cockchafer, to stag- beetle.

From Literature

To our question of why came his frantic reply: “A cockchafer fell down my pants!”

From Washington Post