Monday 7 December 2015

Scarlet lily beetle

I found this little beast in my small patch of woodland this morning.  I'm not sure what it was doing out and about in December or, for that matter, why it is here.  It is a scarlet lily beetle (Lilioceris lilii) and eats lilies, of which I have none in the garden, and fritillaries (I have a few - or at least I had last time I looked).  It is distinguished from the slightly larger cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis) by its black head, its shiny and dimpled wing cases and its non-toothed antennae.


1 comment:

  1. I like the dotted pattern on its wings. A rival to the robin for brightest visitor in a winter garden.

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