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Friday 2 September 2011

Lovely (?) Lily Beetles

The Lily Beetle is a bit of a love-hate-love critter for me. Beautiful and fascinating it's hard to dislike them until you try to grow your own Lilies...

This one here, along with all her posse has managed to all but destroy my beautiful white lily plant. Three years after receiving it as a gift from hubby for our Wedding Anniversary, it's a shadow of it's former self.


However, as insects go, they are pretty cool. Firstly, that scarlet red colour is very exotic and I love the way they drop from the leaves onto their backs the moment you touch them, skillfully disguising their bright colour and pretending to be dead. Apparently they squeak too, if you try to handle them, but I have surprised myself by not attempting to try it yet.

Their larvae are brilliant in that they disguise themselves as dollops of bird mess by covering themselves in their own poo!! Utterly gross, but wow, it'd put anything off!

I may have to try that squeaking thing... gently of course.