''Melolontha'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Scarabaeidae The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family has undergone significant change in recent years. Several sub ...

. The

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

cockchafer The cockchafer, colloquially called Maybug, Maybeetle, or doodlebug, is the name given to any of the European beetles of the genus ''Melolontha'', in the family Scarabaeidae. Once abundant throughout Europe and a major pest in the periodical ye ...

s belong to this genus.

Taxonomy

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...

called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''.

Étienne Louis Geoffroy Étienne Louis Geoffroy (October 12, 1725 – August 12, 1810) was a French entomologist and pharmacist. He was born in Paris and died in Soissons. He followed the binomial nomenclature of Carl von Linné and devoted himself mainly to beetle ...

used ''Melolontha'' as a genus name (1762), but his book has been suppressed by the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature, and the authority for the name is the later (1775) publication by

Johan Christian Fabricius Johan Christian Fabricius (7 January 1745 – 3 March 1808) was a Danish zoology, zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others. He was a student of Carl Linnaeus, an ...

Species

The following is a list of species within the genus ''Melolontha'': *''

Melolontha aceris ''Melolontha'' is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. The European cockchafers belong to this genus. Taxonomy Linnaeus called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''. Étienne Louis Geoffroy used ''Melolontha'' as a ...

'' Faldermann, 1835 *'' Melolontha afflicta'' Ballion, 1870 *''

Melolontha albida ''Melolontha'' is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. The European cockchafers belong to this genus. Taxonomy Linnaeus called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''. Étienne Louis Geoffroy used ''Melolontha'' as a gen ...

'' Frivaldszky, 1835 *''

Melolontha anita ''Melolontha'' is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. The European cockchafers belong to this genus. Taxonomy Linnaeus called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''. Étienne Louis Geoffroy used ''Melolontha'' as a gen ...

'' Reitter, 1902 *''

Melolontha argus ''Melolontha'' is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. The European cockchafers belong to this genus. Taxonomy Linnaeus called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''. Étienne Louis Geoffroy used ''Melolontha'' as a gen ...

Burmeister Burmeister is a surname of German origin. In zoology "Burmeister" refers to: * Ernst-Gerhard Burmeister, German entomologist * Hermann Burmeister (1807–1892), German zoologist also in botany "Burmeist." Other people named Burmeister include: * ...

1855 *''

Melolontha bifurcata ''Melolontha'' is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. The European cockchafers belong to this genus. Taxonomy Linnaeus called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''. Étienne Louis Geoffroy used ''Melolontha'' as a gen ...

'' (Brenske, 1896) *'' Melolontha chinensis'' ( Guerin, 1838) *'' Melolontha ciliciensis'' Petrovitz *'' Melolontha flabellata'' Sharp, 1876 *'' Melolontha frater''

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ...

, 1913 – Indonesia *'' Melolontha fuscotestacea'' Kraatz, 1887 *'' Melolontha guttigera'' Sharp, 1876 *'' Melolontha hippocastani''

Fabricius Fabricius ( la, smith, german: Schmied, Schmidt) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *people from the Ancient Roman gens Fabricia: **Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, the first of the Fabricii to move to Rome * Johann Goldsmid (1587� ...

, 1801 – European forest cockchafer *''

Melolontha incana ''Melolontha'' is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. The European cockchafers belong to this genus. Taxonomy Linnaeus called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''. Étienne Louis Geoffroy used ''Melolontha'' as a gen ...

'' Motschulsky, 1853 *''

Melolontha insulana ''Melolontha'' is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. The European cockchafers belong to this genus. Taxonomy Linnaeus called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''. Étienne Louis Geoffroy used ''Melolontha'' as a ...

'' Burmeister, 1939 *'' Melolontha japonica'' Burmeister, 1855 *''

Melolontha kraatzi ''Melolontha'' is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. The European cockchafers belong to this genus. Taxonomy Linnaeus called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''. Étienne Louis Geoffroy used ''Melolontha'' as a ...

'' Reitter 1906 *'' Melolontha melolontha'' (

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoological ...

) – common European cockchafer *''

Melolontha papposa ''Melolontha'' is a genus of beetles in the family Scarabaeidae. The European cockchafers belong to this genus. Taxonomy Linnaeus called the European cockchafer ''Scarabaeus melolontha''. Étienne Louis Geoffroy used ''Melolontha'' as a ...

Illiger Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger (19 November 1775 – 10 May 1813) was a German entomologist and zoologist. Illiger was the son of a merchant in Braunschweig. He studied under the entomologist Johann Hellwig, and later worked on the zoological colle ...

, 1803 *'' Melolontha pectoralis'' Megerle von Mühlfeld, 1812 – European large cockchafer *'' Melolontha rubiginosa'' *'' Melolontha rufocrassa'' Fairmaire, 1889 *'' Melolontha satsumaenis'' Niijima & Kinoshita *'' Melolontha virescens'' (Brenske, 1896)

References

Scarabaeidae genera Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius Melolonthinae {{Melolonthinae-stub