Scarlet Lily Beetle - Lilioceris lilii

This bright red beetle is about 10 mm long. The red elytra are studded with small dimples. The small black larvae of the Lily Beetle also leave holes in the flowers and leaves of Lily plants. They cover themselves in excrement - disguising themselves as bird droppings.

It is a pest of Lilies grown in the garden and is often spotted feeding on Lily foliage.

The adults can be seen from April to September.

The beetles overwinter in the soil and come out early in spring. The adults stay mainly in moist environments.

This species first reached Britain in the early 1900s. It first became established in the south of England but has now spread across the whole of the country.

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 29 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.