"May Beetle" would be a literal translation from the German and also seems to be used in English.
Having checked a few online dictionaries, "cockchafer" seems to be the common name whereas I haven't been able to find "billywitch". Googling seems to reveal it's a name reserved to Essex and Suffolk. This page (scroll down) says it's a name for both the stag beetle and the "common chafer".
I really don't want to know where the name came from, either. ;o)
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"May Beetle" would be a literal translation from the German and also seems to be used in English.
Having checked a few online dictionaries, "cockchafer" seems to be the common name whereas I haven't been able to find "billywitch". Googling seems to reveal it's a name reserved to Essex and Suffolk. This page (scroll down) says it's a name for both the stag beetle and the "common chafer".
I really don't want to know where the name came from, either. ;o)