Gloucestershire Orchard Group

Conserves, promotes and celebrates traditional orchards in Gloucestershire

Noble Chafer

The Noble Chafer (Gnorimus nobilis) feeds on nectar from open flowers like hogweed on sunny days in July-August. Its grubs live in decaying ancient fruit trees in orchards. The Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata) is superficially similar. Differences are: Noble Chafer has longer and thinner legs, the middle and hind legs are smooth on the "shins", but they are toothed on the Rose Chafer. There are very small white spots on the thorax of the Noble Chafer. The wing cases of the Noble Chafer are much wrinklier. There are differences in the shape of the thorax. The small triangular area between the wing-cases where they join the thorax (the scutellum) is an equilateral triangle in the Noble Chafer but elongated in the Rose Chafer.

(Photos and text from People's Trust for Endangered Species)