A rose chafer by any other name
By Michael Blencowe
Lewes has a lot to be proud of. Two Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserves, a brewery as well as a dramatic history of battles, earthquakes, flooding, avalanches and explosive bonfire celebrations. It’s amazing that it’s still on the map.
But one map Lewes is still firmly found on is the distribution map of one of Britain’s most impressive beetles. Lewes is a real hot-spot for the rose chafer. It really loves it there!
The rose chafer is one seriously glamorous insect. Each one looks like it’s been designed, carefully crafted, coated in the most dazzling metallic green and hand polished. How can I put it? - the rose chafer looks expensive.
Their resemblance to Egyptian scarabs brings the romance of The Nile to any compost heap - great places for their C-shaped larvae to develop.
They’re powerful flyers too. Like miniature Transformers they can suddenly extend their smoky wings from underneath their metallic elytra (wing cases) and, with a short, sharp buzz, take to the air. Admittedly they do tend to crash into fences quite a bit. I said they were beautiful, I didn’t say they were graceful. 
Lewes folk are very proud that their town is the best place in the county to find this stunning insect but there are other 'hot spots' in the county for this localised species such as Seaford and Arundel.
Let us know (below) where you see a rose chafer this summer.
Comments
Rose chafer beetle in the garden today. TN6 1TR
11 Jun 2021 20:23:00
Lots of rose chafer beetles in our Brighton (BN1) garden for last 2-3 years. The beetles are very beautiful but their grubs are very popular with the local foxes who spend their time digging up my plants both in the ground and pots!
15 Jun 2021 09:54:00
3 Rose Chafer beetles in my garden.
Bn99sw
15 Jun 2021 10:27:00
Lots of Rose Chafer beetles in my garden, in Seaford, and grubs in my rose plant containers I discover when repotting them recently. BN25 2DL
15 Jun 2021 15:23:00
two rose chafers in my garden 11 June. TN22 3AP
19 Jun 2021 21:44:00
Hailsham BN27 1NG last week. Flying near my roses!
Also found a dead one and grubs last year. (Photos available)
26 Jun 2021 22:10:00
Hailsham bn27 I accidentally dug up two sleeping rose chafer beetles today. I thought they were dead but as the sun warmed them they started to move around
12 Mar 2022 15:50:00
Saw a Rose chafer this morning on a path in my garden BN22 8PJ I have an old hydrangea and wonder if the grubs are laid there for the old wood? It ambled back to the hydrangea after I took photos of it and burrowed into the soil.
23 Apr 2022 09:37:00
Seen at school grounds in Ashtead, Surrey on 16 May 2022
17 May 2022 17:33:00
I live in SW London … SW13 and saw one in my small garden today
20 May 2022 16:07:00
Seen in Peacehaven, East Sussex on the 31 May 22
02 Jun 2022 08:39:00
Seen in Peacehaven, East Sussex on the 31 May 22
02 Jun 2022 08:39:00
I’ve seen 2 of these in my garden this afternoon. Didn’t know what they were. Bristol.
02 Jun 2022 14:24:00
I’ve seen 2 of these in my garden this afternoon. Didn’t know what they were. Bristol.
02 Jun 2022 14:26:00
In the New Forest. Near Brockenhurst, Hampshire
02 Jun 2022 17:40:00
Had one in the garden in Bristol today. Though it was a bee as it buzzed so loudly. Got a couple of pics too
11 Jun 2022 11:47:00
Seen in our garden in north Brighton. We are close to the start of the Southdowns National Park. Bn18ej
11 Jun 2022 17:31:00
Found one in my garden on the rim of a raised bed – so beautiful
10 Sep 2022 22:44:00
I saw a rose chafer today in Plumpton Green on the track between the playing field and the railway line.
03 May 2023 12:12:00
Saw one today 8May 2023 on mums terrace Stoke Bishop Bristol
08 May 2023 12:21:00
West of Durdle Door, Dorset, on the cliff top grassland
27 Aug 2023 20:28:00
We get a lot of these beautiful beetles in our garden in Clevedon N Somerset. I’ve always thought they were known as May bugs -that seems to be when they’re around. They often dive bomb me when I’m hanging out my washing !!!!!!!
06 Mar 2024 21:21:00
I was fishing the River Arun, north bank of Fordingbridge Close, Horsham, West Sussex, Thursday 14th March 2024, and had these little beauties climbing all over my legs and fishing equipment. Next time I will try and take photos.
31 Mar 2024 18:07:00
Just spotted a beauty in our garden in Southampton (just a “bit” west of Lewes) and ended up on here looking for details about them. SO19 7NQ
07 May 2024 12:32:00
Rose chafer in St Leonards on Sea. Tn38. Yesterday. 25.5.24
26 May 2024 19:09:00
Seaford, BN25 1AF. 29 5 2024
31 May 2024 18:05:00
Found one in my garden today! I think it was still quite young and it went back to its burrow very quickly. It still had some brown fluffy bits on its lower body. Never seen them before in the garden!
26 Mar 2025 13:58:00
We’ve got one wandering along our patio at the moment (14/5 11.58) – Nazeing, Essex EN9 – it’s a beauty
14 May 2025 11:01:00
Found one on my bedroom curtain
14 May 2025 14:45:00
Seen in a Bradley Stoke, Bristol garden
15 May 2025 16:21:00
Rose Chaffer a frequent visitor to my Garden Lilly’s. Torquay Devon. Looks like he’s been waxed and polished !
16 May 2025 12:28:00
Rose Chafer spotted in Totnes, Devon
20 May 2025 10:55:00
One Rose Chafer seen in our garden today! Just outside of Cambridge (CB24)
20 May 2025 12:46:00
Nw3 Hampstead – we have one of these that has made our small garden home
25 May 2025 12:52:00
Just seen a rose chafer in a sweet William in my garden in catford London SE 6
01 Jun 2025 11:43:00
I saw this beetle on my Ceanothus Bush at 34 Windover Crescent, Lewes BN7 1DR
02 Jun 2025 13:49:00
Just had one on our curtain in Hove. Our cat was intrigued by something so I went to investigate and saw this amazing metallic green beetle. It stayed for a minute then launched off for it’s next pit stop.
15 Jun 2025 13:33:00
My 1st Rose Chafer Beetle spotted Withdean Court Avenue.
16 Jun 2025 09:35:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Great!
My 1st Rose Chafer Beetle spotted Withdean Court Avenue.
20 Jun 2025 09:09:00
Beautiful Rose Chafer landed on my mum .Cott Valley .Cornwall .
29 Jun 2025 16:16:00
A rose chafer beetle in my garden today, in Lurgashall. Watched it flying around and then it buried itself into the ground.
04 Jul 2025 18:17:00
There’s a Rose Chafer in our Patcham garden this morning
17 Jul 2025 09:49:00
In Bermondsey October 7th, lamb walk se1.
08 Oct 2025 04:04:00
Found a rose chafer in my garden today in Chelmsford Essex
04 Apr 2026 16:59:00
Saw one today; circled a few times in my Mum’s garden!! Had to look up what it was, we were both gob smacked at the colour and the sun bouncing off it’s wings…! Kingswood, Bristol (lots of lovely flowers in my Mum’s garden ~ lots in pots)
06 May 2026 18:06:00
Just seen this beetle in our garden, it flew off before I could take a photo. MORETON IN MARSH. GLOUCRSTERSHIRE. 21st May. 2026.
21 May 2026 12:55:00
Saw my first ever Rose Chafer Beatle. You’re description fut it perfectly.
In Horsham West Sussex
05 Jun 2026 13:09:00
Beautiful Rise Chafer bumped into my face while flying aimlessly! Was really pleased to see it so close. GU14
10 Jun 2026 13:30:00
Spotted a Rose Chafer in an Iceburg climbing rose in my back garden in Worthing, BN11 today.
15 Jun 2026 19:33:00