Scientists need public's help to stop invasive lily beetle
By Beth Daley, Globe Staff
Take a look at your garden lilies. If you see a gorgeous red beetle on them, get worried.
The beetle is an invasive visitor that has cut a deadly swath through the region’s lilies over the last 17 years. The bugs do not prey on daylilies, which are not true lilies, but can be found on the stalks of Asiatic, Oriental, Easter, tiger, and Turk's-cap lilies.
 The beetle (URI) |
And they can devour them so effectively you will be left with nothing but chewed up plants. Thousands of gardeners from Maine to Connecticut have stopped trying to grow lilies ever since they were discovered in Cambridge in 1992. The adults, about a quarter of an inch long, look like a skinny lady bug. If you squeeze them, they squeak - a defense mechanism to deter predators. Today, they are in every New England state.
University of Rhode Island researchers have found a possible solution in a European wasp that is a natural enemy to the lily leaf beetle, and about 10 years ago began releasing them in isolated pockets throughout New England. The wasp lays its eggs in beetle larvae, killing them before giving birth to a new generation of wasps. Researchers wanted the wasps to spread enough to establish a permanent population to hold the beetles in check.
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And now, the researchers need samples of larvae from the region's gardens to see if the wasps are taking hold.
But it’s not a pretty process. The larvae are very small – and best noticed by the ball of, well, poop, they carry on their backs. This looks like brown blobs on the leaf.
Lisa Tewksbury, a URI researchers, asks people to tear off leaves with the larvae (and their excrement) and mail them to her. She’d ideally like 10-20 leaves from plants, with a few lily leaves thrown in for the larvae to feed on until they get to her lab.
Once there, she’ll dissect the larvae to see if the wasps are in them to determine how far the wasps have spread. She’ll take larvae from anywhere but is looking particularly in communities in and around Wellesley. Mailing instructions below and for more information go to:
http://cels.uri.edu/pls/biocontrol/index.html
INSTRUCTIONS: Please put about 10-20 of the largest larvae you can find (preferably fourth instars: Fig. 2), and some lily leaves into a rigid container with a lid. Please do not add any water; the lily leaves will provide some moisture. Two suggestions for good sturdy containers are cottage cheese or yogurt containers. Label the lid with your name, complete address, and the date that you collected the larvae. Please tape container closed so that the larvae don’t escape! Include your email address and I will send you my results.
Address:
Lisa Tewksbury,
Dept. of Plant Sciences,
9 E. Alumni Ave. Room 210C Woodward Hall,
University of Rhode Island,
Kingston, RI 02881
Phone: (401) 874-2750
email: lisat@uri.edu
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So let me get this straight- there is a non-native bug feasting on non-native plants, and we're going to introduce another non-native insect to control it? Why does this seem like a bad idea? Maybe we should just let the beetle do it's thing, and then when there are no more non-native lillies for it to eat, it will die off?
Is there an effective insecticide to get rid of them?
I live in the White Mountains in NH and the lily beetle has been horrendous! I transplanted my plants from my Father-in-law's garden. The previous summer his 6 foot tall plants were devoured leaf by leaf until he cut them all down. I have been trying for the past 8 years to get them to grow. Last year I was able to get a few blossoms. This year they are not being attacked as much and are about 18 in tall. So far this year I do not have any larvae on them. Many people around here have stopped growing them. I have found that the only real way to stop them is to hand pick them.
Happy to try to help.
These critters appeared first about three years ago on my asiatic lillies. These Marxist bugs were introduced into Cambridge (figures) so we need help to get them outta here. They have re-appeared this spring on my frittalaria and have been using hand removal for the beetles and insecticide soap from the larvae. But would be happy to send them the larvae to RI instead.
>So let me get this straight- there is a non-native bug feasting on non-native
>plants, and we're going to introduce another non-native insect to control it?
There are native lillies, like the wood lilly.
These fellas go through lillies faster and more thoroughly then Sherman through Georgia. I've learned at the first sign of larvae chomping to hit the lillies with liquid Sevin. That's the only instectide, and only plant on which, I use routinely. I don't like using synthetic poisons and avoid their use in most situations.
They may feed on non-native lilies first, but will turn to native lilies afterward. Then if their normal hosts are gone they may turn to other plants. All non-indigenous species are potential threats, whether they are plants, insects, snails, fish or mammals.
I noticed holes all over the leaves on my beautiful pink lily plant in my yard this past weekend, as well as red beetles that I've never seen before...guess I know what they are now!
I've only had the plant for about 2-3 years, and it always looks beautiful! I have one pink flower this year, and hopefully will have more once it stops raining!
I hope hand-removal does the trick, at least for this summer, since I hate playing with chemicals!!
Hand removal has not worked for me. I'm ready for the next step. This is my second year with these monsters and I miss my lilies.
I'm giving up and getting rid of my lillies. Lilies have always been my favorite flower, I have grown them for over 30 years and as of now I have 2 large gardens with every type lilly I could get my hands on. I first noticed the lily beetle about 5 years ago. That first year they completely ate my lillies. Since then it has become an ongoing battle every summer..... I go out to the lily gardens every day on a lily bug hunt, I read every article I can find and I try all the methods they suggest. I have spent a fortune on chemicals but none of it works. I want to enjoy my gardens and I can't do that if I have to spend all my time & energy trying to protect the lillies. This is the last year, the lillies are being pulled up as soon as they are finished blooming. Such a shame!
I have found one other thing that might help in the battle against the lily beetle. Although it is usually a good idea to place an organic mulch around plants, I have found keeping the soil bare makes it much easier to find the beetles when they drop off the plant.
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