Lily Beetle

This voracious beastie has laid waste to our lilies!

The scarlet lily beetle (Lilioceris lilii), or red / leaf lily beetle, is a leaf beetle that eats the leaves, stem, buds and flower of lilies, fritillaries and other members of the family Liliaceae. They mainly lay their eggs on Lilium and Fritillaria species. Observed in absence of Lilium and Fritillaria species, the numbers of eggs laid were significantly less and the survival rate of eggs and larvae were lowered. It is now a pest in most temperate climates where lilies are cultivated. Lily leaf beetles overwinter in the soil and come out early in spring whereas adults stay in moist environments.

They are very difficult to catch and breed so fast at this time of year you can be inundated in no time. We have taken 2 dozen off our few plants in the last two days and I have squished as many eggs. Unfortunately, our leaves are already decimated!

Sadly, they have no predators in the UK. They are not native and therefore WAR is WAR!