I haven't lived here long, so I don't know if this warning is necessary,
but I found a lily beetle on my snakeshead fritillaries in the West Mids
today. It's the first one I've ever seen anywhere. The blighter fell off
when I tried to pick it up, and I couldn't find it; but I squashed quite
a few eggs.

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote
I haven't lived here long, so I don't know if this warning is necessary,
but I found a lily beetle on my snakeshead fritillaries in the West Mids
today. It's the first one I've ever seen anywhere. The blighter fell off
when I tried to pick it up, and I couldn't find it; but I squashed quite a
few eggs.

They do that Mike. You will soon get the technique of picking them off with
one hand and with your other hand underneath to stop them dropping to the
ground.
Now watch for their larvae, they cover themselves with their own faeces so
look like a bird dropping, but underneath a leaf?
IME fritillaries and Madonna lilies are their favourite food.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On Fri, 4 Jun 2010 22:49:52 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:



"Mike Lyle" wrote
I haven't lived here long, so I don't know if this warning is necessary,
but I found a lily beetle on my snakeshead fritillaries in the West Mids
today. It's the first one I've ever seen anywhere. The blighter fell off
when I tried to pick it up, and I couldn't find it; but I squashed quite a
few eggs.

They do that Mike. You will soon get the technique of picking them off with
one hand and with your other hand underneath to stop them dropping to the
ground.

The buggers can fly too!


--
(¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯)

In message , Mike Lyle
writes
I haven't lived here long, so I don't know if this warning is necessary,
but I found a lily beetle on my snakeshead fritillaries in the West Mids
today. It's the first one I've ever seen anywhere. The blighter fell off
when I tried to pick it up, and I couldn't find it; but I squashed quite
a few eggs.

Lily beetle is already present well to the north of where you are.

URL:http://data.nbn.org.uk/gridMap/gridM...hSpKey=NBNSYS0
000011116
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message , Mike Lyle
writes
I haven't lived here long, so I don't know if this warning is
necessary, but I found a lily beetle on my snakeshead fritillaries
in the West Mids today. It's the first one I've ever seen anywhere.
The blighter fell off when I tried to pick it up, and I couldn't
find it; but I squashed quite a few eggs.

Lily beetle is already present well to the north of where you are.

URL:http://data.nbn.org.uk/gridMap/gridM...hSpKey=NBNSYS0
000011116

Gosh! Yet another thing on which I'm out of date... Caught one today,
though. Pity it's such a handsome devil.

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote
Gosh! Yet another thing on which I'm out of date... Caught one today,
though. Pity it's such a handsome devil.

They seem to be more prolific every year.

I spotted several of the little blighters on a sunny day in early during
Spring. They were sitting on Forget-me-nots and I was surprised to see
them that soon in the year, but even more surprised that they would
apparently munch on Forget-me-not.
Then I remembered that was the spot where I had a patch of short stemmed
yellow lilies. The plants hadn't even shown so much as a hint of a shoot
above ground at that stage but the insects had presumably hatched out
from last year's brood and were just waiting around for breakfast to be
served.
--
Sue