Polyphylla fullo
Walker ( Polyphylla Fullo )
The Walker or Turkish cockchafer ( Polyphylla Fullo ) is a beetle of the family of scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae ). He is the only type of its kind in Central Europe.
Features
The beetles reach a body length of 25-36 millimeters. Your body is colored dark brown and carries a characteristic white spot pattern. The spots of the body top is shed, in which the ventral side by close-fitting coat. The males are recognizable by their typically shaped sensors whose subjects consists of seven highly curved blades which are several times longer than the remaining antennal segments. The females have sensor compartments with only five leaves, but they are much shorter than in the male. The rails ( tibiae ) of the front legs bear three spines on the outer side in the males, two in females.
Area of distribution and habitat
The Walker is found in North Africa and in Europe. It occurs most frequently in Central and Southern Europe, but is almost everywhere rare. Its northern limit of distribution is the south of Sweden, the eastern Balkans and the Caucasus.
It inhabits sandy habitats, such as the edge of sunny pine forests, vineyards or dunes.
Way of life
The adults appear in June and July and fly 21 to 22 clock in the evening. They feed on pine needles, but this does not cause economic damage. The species is reported in Germany by the Federal Species Protection Ordinance to be particularly protected. The animals can be produced by stridulation for the human audible noise. The females lay their eggs in the soil. The larvae develop in the soil and feed on roots. You need three to four years to develop and can reach a length of up to 80 millimeters.