Noble Chafer

Gnorimus nobilis

  1. Wildlife
  2. Invertebrates
  3. Beetles
  4. Noble Chafer

About

This larvae of this metallic green beetle live in old decaying fruit trees in traditional orchards where they take up to 3 years to develop into adult beetles.

How to identify

Metallic, bronze/green beetle, speckled with white, about 2cm long. They're on the wing for 4-6 weeks from June to August and feed particularly on elders and umbellifers such as hogweed and meadowsweet.

Where to find it

In old, traditional orchards with fruit trees aged 50-80 years old. Primarily in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire with records in the New Forest, Oxfordshire and Kent.

When to find it

  • June
  • July
  • August

How can people help

Old orchards have no legal protection and continue to be removed. The Wildlife Trusts own and manage many old orchards for their invertebrate and grassland species and have undertaken a lot of work to identify and contact owners of suitable orchards to help preserve them. By joining your local Wildlife Trust you can help them to continue this work.

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Species information

Common name
Noble Chafer
Latin name
Gnorimus nobilis
Category
Invertebrates
Beetles
Statistics
Adult beetles reach 2cm in length.
Conservation status
Noble chafers are a BAP species and are nationally vulnerable.