Although handsome with their shiny red livery this beetle is a garden pest that multiplies quickly and does considerable damage to both the leaves and the buds of garden lillies. It is infact aptly called the lily beetle. Look out for the larvae which cover themselves with slimy black excrement which looks like bird droppings on the lily storks. We have had to resort to sybol insecticide as the only thorough means of destroying them. They have been regular visitors to our garden both this month and during July.
We continue to get regular visits from a muntjac. Recently he has taken to trampling over the vegtable plot to the annoyance of my wife. However he doesn't appear to have eaten anything destined for our plates!
We often talk about the beauty of our butterflies but some of our moths have equally attractive colours.
Two moths which i have spotted in the garden recently are shown below.
First a male green silver -lines on the rockery nearest the house.The male is identified by the pink fringes to the wings. They have a preference for oak but are found on or near a number of deciduous trees. On the wing May to Sept
Secondly a dusky sallow moth in our herbaceous border. Feeds on both wild and garden flowers as well as grasses and the seeds of developing cereals. On the wing July to Sept
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