Search and destroy Doug, they are a horrible insect w/no natural predators
in the USA.

Where are you located? They are slowly spreading throughout New England
(I'm north of Boston) and I believe they are in southern NH now as well.
THEY SUCK!!!!

It is a huge battle - the adults overwinter in the soil then come out in the
spring to mate and lay eggs (little orange dots on the underside of the
leaves), then the little babies hatch and turn into these mounds on the
underside of the leaves -- turns out they cover themselves in their own poo
to deter predators -- YUCK!!! The larvae seem to suck the life out of the
leaves.

Last I knew the labs are looking into introducing a natural predator, a wasp
of some sort; however they are being careful to see what type of effect this
would have on our native wasps.

Yikes!
LeeAnne

"Doug" wrote in message
...
Hi Folks,

Over the last week or so I've been noticing these small red bugs on my
lilies, maybe 1/4 of an inch long if that. I've never seen these ones
before, and unlike last year I've started to get these small holes in
the leaves of the lilies. Something is obviously eating them.

I've taken a picture of the bug in question and was wondering if
someone could ID it:

http://www.netcent.com/private/redbug.jpg

It's pretty small, so this was about as clear I could get with my cam.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Doug