Lily Beetle

[Peter Maguire]

I've just come across this thread, and thought Lesley ought to see the adults in full, glorious colour. We've had them here in Newcastle for 2-3 years (climate change?  ), and I saw them in the 'wild' last year on Lilium bulbiferum in Switzerland. I wonder what their predators are there....

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you Peter. I won't say you've made my day though. I'm assured I'm lucky we don't have this in New Zealand (yet) and hopefully for once, MAF will be effective in keeping it out. But you have to admit it's a very handsome creature.

[gote]

I've just come across this thread, and thought Lesley ought to see the adults in full, glorious colour. We've had them here in Newcastle for 2-3 years (climate change?  ), and I saw them in the 'wild' last year on Lilium bulbiferum in Switzerland. I wonder what their predators are there....

We have had them in Mid-Sweden for at least ten years so I doubt that it is the climate - at least in your place.
It seems that the do not like all lilies equally well. Hansonii is a favourite. Maybe it is because they overwinter in the topsoil and Hansonii is the first one up, martagon closely following. Superbum is another favourite and can become eaten to the stalk.
I do not know anything about predators but it seems that my martagons - including escapees on which I never kill any beetles are not so severely affected as superbum are.
I have never seen them on the small Chinese - nor on Fritillaria meleagris and other narrow leaf ones - Fritillaria camtchatkensis will be eaten however.
Good hunting!
Göte

[Tony Willis]

When I first discovered lily beetle in the garden three years ago it was on an auratum but then I found it had completely decimated the frit meleagris and has been on them the last two years.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

They absolutely looooove Frit. imperialis ... 

[johnw]

When I first discovered lily beetle in the garden three years ago it was on an auratum but then I found it had completely decimated the frit meleagris and has been on them the last two years.

Tony - Here they eat about 50% of the leaves of the Fritillaria meleagris.  Their absolute favourite is the white Lilium martagon which they decimate and then move on to the regular martagon. Wretched things they are and an hour can fly by squishing them.

johnw

[gote]

Have we got different clones of beetles???
Göte

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I've only seen the orange one as pictured Göte !

[johnw]

I've only seen the orange one as pictured Göte !

Here they are a no aspologies red, no orange.

johnw

[gote]

I've only seen the orange one as pictured Göte !

I mean with different culinary preferences.
Göte

[Giles]

There's a nice article on lily beetles (and their predators) which you can download as a pdf on the North American Lily Society website.
(under publications > sample articles).

[fredg]

I find that Heliamphora is a perfect natural predator.
If I squeeze the beetles with my tweezers the Heliamphora accept them gratefully .
A couple of dinners are shown before preparation.

[Eric Locke]

Nice Photos Fred.

Eric

[mark smyth]

They are in N Ireland also but as far as I know in County Down only.

What is the life cycle and what do they do during the winter?

[Maggi Young]

They are in N Ireland also but as far as I know in County Down only.

What is the life cycle and what do they do during the winter?

 See this article, mentioned by Giles, from the North American Lily Society:
http://www.lilies.org/index.html ...... from their sample articles....

http://www.lilies.org/lilybeetle.pdf   by Crystal Ernst, B.Sc., M.Sc.