Mistaken identity

Adult cockchafer

Those horrible looking larvae aren't stag beetles at all. I found a couple of adult beetles today, and they're cockchafers. This is not good news, as they eat the roots of various plants, especially the grass family - including rye.

I found several dozen of the grubs in different stages of development while digging all the beds, which seems to be a bad infestation.

Update: According to advice received on the excellent Grow Your Own forum, they are not a major problem for vegetable beds, as they tend to move away from cultivated soil (although they are very destructive of lawns.) Phew!