How To Safeguard Your True Lilies From The 'Lily Leaf Beetle' Inv

LILY KILLING BEETLE HAS ARRIVED IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA

Do varieties of lilies cover your landscaping in various areas around your home? Unfortunately, there are certain types of true lilies becoming the victim of an invasive beetle that has now been discovered in central Minnesota, and it could completely wipe out those lilies in affected areas, according to Master Gardener Bill Cook.

Lilium and Fritillaria are the main lilies that the larvae and full-grown Lily Leaf Beetle, otherwise known as the Scarlet Lily Beetle, love to feed on.

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TRUE LILIES

The adult beetle will occasionally feed on other plants like hostas and hollyhocks, but their larvae do most of the damage to true lilies, and they'll destroy every single part of the plant, which may eventually wipe out the type of lilies they are attacking.

The Lily Leaf beetle was first discovered in North America in the 1940s. It was first reported being found in Minnesota in July of 2020 and 4 counties have confirmed its presence, including:

Anoka
Goodhue
Hennepin
Ramsey

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LILY LEAF BEETLE DISCOVERED IN ST CLOUD

Master Gardener Bill Cook HAS seen this beetle in St. Cloud; and now that it's here, there is no way of wiping it out. There are insecticides but those also affect our pollinators, so not the best way to irradicate the beetles.

The adult Lily Leaf beetles come out of the soil in early spring, and then they lay their eggs on host plants. Their larvae feed on the underside of the leaves before going underground.

HOW TO IDENTIFY LARVAE

The larvae are easy to identify, as they look like sludge on the plant. Master Gardener Bill Cook said that they cover themselves in their own feces for protection under the leaf, and once they are ready, they will enter the soil to turn into beetles. Larvae are plump and squishy and tend to be orange or yellow in color with black heads.

HOW TO IDENTIFY ADULT LILY LEAF BEETLES

Adult beetles are easy to identify, as they are bright scarlet-colored and have black legs, heads, antennae, and undersides. If you disturb them, they will play opossum, pretending they are dead. If you squeeze them, they will squeak!