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Mainly sunny. High 78F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..
A mostly clear sky. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable.
A lily leaf beetle feasts on a leaf. This invasive insect was first spotted in the north country in the early 2000s. Wikipedia
The lily leaf beetle (Lilioceris lilii) is an invasive insect that is indigenous to parts of Asia and Europe. Wikipedia
A lily leaf beetle feasts on a leaf. This invasive insect was first spotted in the north country in the early 2000s. Wikipedia
The lily leaf beetle (Lilioceris lilii) is an invasive insect that is indigenous to parts of Asia and Europe. Wikipedia
Dear Aggie: Help! The leaves on my Asiatic lilies have damage from little red bugs. What can I do?
Unfortunately, your lilies are infested with the lily leaf beetle (Lilioceris lilii), an invasive insect that is indigenous to parts of Asia and Europe. The beetle was first spotted in North America in the 1940s. We didn’t see this pest here in the north country until the early 2000s — but now they are common. The beetles can produce three generations in a single summer and easily overwinter in mulch and soil. Left uncontrolled, populations will build up each year in your flower beds, causing more and more damage to your plants. Many gardeners have given up on growing lilies altogether due to the significant damage these beetles cause.
The ½ inch-long beetles are a brilliant red and are easy to spot — but very difficult to catch. Once the plant is disturbed, the beetles will immediately drop to the ground. Nonetheless, hand-picking them is one control strategy. As I tend to avoid using pesticides, I personally collect them by holding a cup under the plant and catching the beetles as they fall. I take great satisfaction in crushing them by hand — or under foot on a paved surface. You can also let them drop into soapy water to drown after a few hours. As I only have a few lilies, it is relatively easy to spend a few minutes every few days scouting the undersides of leaves for orange egg clusters. Each egg is about 1 millimeter wide. If you find eggs, either remove the entire leaf or carefully crush the eggs by hand. Vigilance is required because the eggs hatch in only five to seven days.
The larvae of the lily beetle are much more difficult to see and pick by hand. They also cause more damage than the adults. The juveniles have the nasty habit of covering themselves in their own wet feces as they feed. This camouflage of frass disguises them as shiny reddish-brown to black lumps. Juveniles generally feed on the underside of leaves, making them difficult to see.
For heavy infestations or large flower beds where hand-picking would be difficult, consider applying an insecticide such as neem oil. Neem oil must be applied liberally to penetrate the thick fecal shield covering the juveniles. Keep in mind that while neem oil is a natural product, it is deadly to beneficial insects, to include bees and any natural predators of these beetles. Carefully read and follow all label instructions to avoid unnecessary damage to other species or your plants.
Thanks to research done at Cornell University, three species of tiny wasps that parasitize lily leaf beetles have been identified. In 2019, these natural enemies were released in locations throughout the state and may provide a long-term solution to this pest. Encouraging birds, toads, and other predatory insects such as ground beetles in your garden will also help. While natural enemies will not eliminate the lily leaf beetle entirely from our gardens, their presence may make this pest a little easier to manage.
Question answered by Mike Nuckols, Agriculture and Natural Resources Team Leader.
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