Noble chafer  (Gnorimus nobilis)

This species is widely distributed throughout Europe as far north as southern Scandinavia, although it appears to be declining over much of its European range. In Britain it has been rare for over a century and has declined in range in recent years. At present, it is recorded from the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire, from orchards in various parts of Worcestershire, and from Oxfordshire.

The noble chafer is a species associated with dead wood. Where it occurs in Europe, it is a beetle of open, deciduous woods and forests. In the UK, however, the most numerous populations are found around old fruit orchards. During the day, the adult beetles are often found feeding on nectar and pollen on flower heads, especially umbellifers.