Caught this little beauty in the act of merrily munching her way through the tips of the emerging leaves of one of my lilies. Pretty to look at but and when I examined the underside of the leaves there were lots of tiny orange-brown eggs. These hatch into larva which make quite a mess of your lily plants. I simply rubbed off all the eggs and used the beetle as a photographic model. I'll have to look out though because she will probably be back.
Here's what the RHS website says about them: Lily beetle and its larvae are leaf-eating pests of lilies and fritillaries. The adult beetles are very occasionally found on other plants but lilies and fritillaries are the only plants on which eggs are laid and the grubs develop. Apart from spoiling the plants' appearance, attacks in early summer can result in undersized bulbs developing, which may not flower next year. Lily beetle has become widespread in the UK over the past three decades.
Photo taken: 21 May 1016
CameraL Nikon D600
Lens: 105 mm Nikkor
Exposure Settings: ƒ/9; 1/160; ISO 320
File ref:20160521-DSC_7811©ELN
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