Precious Rose Chafer - Protected & Elected

Guess what we found today in a stored bag of compost from last year! After checking out what they are we directly put them back into the soil, covered by small chipped wood.

This wonderful animal is the larva of a rose chafer, botanic name: Cetonia Aurata. They are a protected species in Europe because they are very beneficial for nature and your garden. Rose Chafers have even been elected the "bug of the year 2000". 

• They are very important pollinators as they feed on pollen, nectar and flowers, especially roses.

• They are great for your compost and humus

The larvae are C–shaped and have a firm, wrinkled, hairy body, a small head, and tiny legs. The larvae overwinter wherever they have been feeding, which may be in compost, manure, leaf mould, or rotting wood. They grow very quickly and will have moulted twice before the end of autumn. They have a two-year life cycle. They pupate in June or July. Some adult beetles may emerge in autumn, but the main emergence is in spring, when the beetles mate.

Find out more on: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetonia_aurata