Red Lily Beetle or Lily Beetle - Lilioceris lilii

Although it is June, we are having heavy downpours of rain. Everything is utterly sodden and dripping wet. In between the heavy rain showers there are some unusual sightings. Here is one of them it is a Red lily beetle or Lily beetle .. it is known by both names. The adult beetle burrows down into the soil in late Autumn and will spend the Winter anywhere underground for protection. The beetles usually wait until a bright sunny April day to push up out of the earth and then they begin to look for lily leaves to lay their eggs. They continue laying eggs throughout the Summer. The eggs are laid in small numbers on the underside of the lily leaves and once they have hatched the plant is ravaged.

This beetle was happily clinging to a Purple Loosestrife leaf, which is nowhere near to my lilies .. but I am wondering if the beetle found one of my lily leaves or whether it flew off into someone else’s garden!

 

Red Lily Beetle or Lily Beetle - Lilioceris lilii