Caterpillar ID please

Baz Baziah · #1 (**permalink**) 20-06-2010, 09:59 AM

These strange looking creatures have managed to chew there way through most of the lillies in my garden over the course of three days whilst I was away.

They are about 8-10mm long, smooth with what appars to be small legs only at the front of there bodies. They also have what appears to be a great desire to cover themselves in there own waste products ! They may only be active at night and hide (covered in there own waste) in the cleft of the stem remains -see photos.

I have never had them on any of my plants before or known something to eat as quickly or as much as they do for there size. There are no more than 6 of them and they have destroyed 5 one foot tall lillies in 3 days between them.

I live in Merseyside England.

Cheers.

Hedera · #2 (**permalink**) 20-06-2010, 10:40 AM

These are the offspring of the scarlet Lily beetle: squash them! A piece of damp kitchen paper is ideal for removing them. look under all the leaves every day. The beetles tend to drop down on to the soil upside down, as they are black then they don't show up.