Northern hemisphere June 2010

[cohan]

mark--congrats on joining the chatty ranks
lori--i don't know, although people in winnipeg were talking about them being spread by wind, which must suggest flight, don't know if that's adults or what.....

so, no lily bulbs... what about little things like crocus, iris etc?

[TheOnionMan]

I expect they could, as the adults overwinter in the soil.  (The larvae also pupate in the soil in the summer, then emerge as adults in late summer.)  I imagine the bulb trade is likely how they got to North America in the first place, and very likely how they are getting further and further west.  At least the adults don't fly... do they?  I haven't read that they do, at any rate.

They can fly.  When approached for hand-picking and killing, they drop to the ground and start digging in around loose detritus, pretty effective self-defense mechanism, giving the impression they only walk and climb, but they can also fly.  I use a small glass bottle with a lid to capture lily beetles, and learned that I must keep the lid on when in my lily beetle hunting mode, otherwise they can escape and fly off.  After catching a bunch of them, I half fill the bottle with water; they don't swim so well.

[Lori S.]

They can fly.  When approached for hand-picking and killing, they drop to the ground and start digging in around loose detritus, pretty effective self-defense mechanism, giving the impression they only walk and climb, but they can also fly.  I use a small glass bottle with a lid to capture lily beetles, and learned that I must keep the lid on when in my lily beetle hunting mode, otherwise they can escape and fly off.  After catching a bunch of them, I half fill the bottle with water; they don't swim so well.

That does make sense, regrettably, given their spread.  (And I somehow imagined that they looked like they should be able to fly.  )  Darn.

[TheOnionMan]

mark--congrats on joining the chatty ranks
lori--i don't know, although people in winnipeg were talking about them being spread by wind, which must suggest flight, don't know if that's adults or what.....

so, no lily bulbs... what about little things like crocus, iris etc?

Thanks Cohan.  My neighbor has lilies and frits with no sign of lily beetle, yet the same types of plants in my yard are ravaged.  Now granted, people have fairly large properties around here, 2 acres typically is the minimum, and my neighbor has huge acreage, but they are only a few hundred feet down the road, yet no lily beetle in their gardens.  If they do spread, my guess is by flight, as they do fly and might fly to a new breeding ground having suitable plants.

[cohan]

mark--congrats on joining the chatty ranks
lori--i don't know, although people in winnipeg were talking about them being spread by wind, which must suggest flight, don't know if that's adults or what.....

so, no lily bulbs... what about little things like crocus, iris etc?

Thanks Cohan.  My neighbor has lilies and frits with no sign of lily beetle, yet the same types of plants in my yard are ravaged.  Now granted, people have fairly large properties around here, 2 acres typically is the minimum, and my neighbor has huge acreage, but they are only a few hundred feet down the road, yet no lily beetle in their gardens.  If they do spread, my guess is by flight, as they do fly and might fly to a new breeding ground having suitable plants.

i have one close neighbour-about 100 metres give or take a couple dozen....1/2 mile minimum in other directions..
i wasn't planning on buying any lilies anytime soon, now i wont, but just wonder about other bulbs, whether they are safe to buy....?

[TheOnionMan]

i have one close neighbour-about 100 metres give or take a couple dozen....1/2 mile minimum in other directions..
i wasn't planning on buying any lilies anytime soon, now i wont, but just wonder about other bulbs, whether they are safe to buy....?

The plants I have seen lily beetle on include Lilium of course, Fritillaria (big time), and sometimes on Narcissus (not too often, but it has been observed); only these three.  But I'd be wary of buying nursery plants of things like Nomocharis or other liliaceae.

[cohan]

i have one close neighbour-about 100 metres give or take a couple dozen....1/2 mile minimum in other directions..
i wasn't planning on buying any lilies anytime soon, now i wont, but just wonder about other bulbs, whether they are safe to buy....?

The plants I have seen lily beetle on include Lilium of course, Fritillaria (big time), and sometimes on Narcissus (not too often, but it has been observed); only these three.  But I'd be wary of buying nursery plants of things like Nomocharis or other liliaceae.

i wont be finding anything exotic like nomocharis around here not even sure if frits could be found, though of course there are mail order places... some of those specialty nurseries must be praying to be spared

[JPB]

Aquilegia scopulorum, raised from wild-collected seed (Piute County, Utah, from Bjorn Malkmus/rareplants.de). At first I was surprised to see a white flower but according to the Robert Nold book they can be pure white.

BTW, does anyone have a suggestion for a good background color? My carpet gives good contrast but the picture looks like a wall paper from a cheap British hotel

Next a flower of Cistus albidus, from my plant collected in the Sierra Alhamilla, SE-Spain

Finally Cerastium arvense. Quite common here in drier places, but very beautiful flowers and a soft perfume!

[Hans J]

some pics from today :

Gladiolus + Bletilla near my pond
Lonicera chinensis ( I have received this plant before some years under this name ...can anyone confirm it ?

Regards
Hans

[Maggi Young]

Hans Pakker: try a grey card, bought from an art supply shop to make a background. The shade of grey known as " 18%  grey" for photographic purposes is recognised as a good "neautral" background for photos, giving easy true representation of colours.... 

[Maggi Young]

McMark, many congratulations on reaching your 1000th post.... Ian and are are pleased to have celebrated your achievemnt with a drink and an ice-cream!

[TheOnionMan]

McMark, many congratulations on reaching your 1000th post.... Ian and are are pleased to have celebrated your achievemnt with a drink and an ice-cream!

Thanks.  What flavor?

[Maggi Young]

Vanilla, always vanilla 

[JPB]

Hans Pakker: try a grey card, bought from an art supply shop to make a background. The shade of grey known as " 18%  grey" for photographic purposes is recognised as a good "neautral" background for photos, giving easy true representation of colours.... 

Thanks Maggi! But now I have to out again for a "18%-gray-card" and have those shop owners eyes pointed at me again..."A what?!  " Try to get loam-based compost, a pH meter, 1M KCl, a fine ground sieve (in a cooking shop), plastic food containers to sow, or anything else other than a huge flatscreen TV in Holland and they act like you've been escaped from an asylum 

[Gail]

Lonicera chinensis ( I have received this plant before some years under this name ...can anyone confirm it ?

Regards
Hans

According to Rehder's monograph on Lonicera, (in the Report of the Missouri Botanic Garden 1903 - so ideas may have changed!) chinensis is a variety of Lonicera japonica.  Distinguished by "Leaves pubescent on both sides when young; corolla white fading to yellow, rarely slightly tinged red, upper lip divided scarcely one-half; bractlets as broad as ovaries."