Rosemary Beetles and a few for ID

[Anzu]

Hiya,

whilst walking to my car to leave from work I found a mating pair of these lovely looking beetles in the lavender and promptly smuggled them home in my lunchbox for photographs (as you do ).

After some Google searching I found that they are rosemary beetles that are apparently devastating to some herbs. I obviously do not want to release them into my garden then should I kill the lovely looking things?



I also found this wasp on its back dying on my bedroom floor a couple of days ago, is it possible to Id from the bad photos I took? Also do those long curving antennae mean it is a male wasp?




Today I also found these 2 in my Norfolk garden.




Are these the Hawthorn bug and some kind of female Eristalis species?

Thank you for looking!

[Jason Claxton]

Hi Anzu

Your Shieldbug in the fourth photo looks like Elasmostethus interstinctus,the Birch Shieldbug,which is a bit similar looking to the Hawthorn Shieldbug.

Jason

[Paul mabbott]

Yes they are a serious pest and can shred lavender and rosemary: not just a nuisance in the garden but a serious threat to herb farmers. Especially in Norfolk
The easiest way to kill them is to pop them in the freezer for an hour or so - that, after all is what's likely to cause their death in nature!

Originally Posted by Anzu

Hiya,
.............../
After some Google searching I found that they are rosemary beetles that are apparently devastating to some herbs. I obviously do not want to release them into my garden then should I kill the lovely looking things?

[Matt Smith]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Yes they are a serious pest and can shred lavender and rosemary: not just a nuisance in the garden but a serious threat to herb farmers. Especially in Norfolk
The easiest way to kill them is to pop them in the freezer for an hour or so - that, after all is what's likely to cause their death in nature!

Rosemary Beetles are a bit tougher than that Paul....

I have a colony in my garden which have been there for years, it was the 4th known British site for them at one time. The beetles are active all through the winter and only disappear off the rosemary during actual periods of snow. Once the snow goes, the beetles climb back up onto the plants.

[loripo]

They are also partial to sage...

[Klaas Reißmann]

Hi,

I don't know if someone who is into wasps, can identify yours. The only thing I can tell is, that it is a male wasp.

The howerfly is genus Eristalis, but I can't tell by this photo if the common Eristalis tenax or another species. Looks much like E. tenax, but no way to differentiate from the others.

Regards
Klaas

[Anzu]

Thank you guys for the IDs and advice,

I shall somehow dispatch the poor little beetles to the big lavender plant in the sky.

[Paul mabbott]

Yes, indeed, they do find sheltered spaces to hide in the garden .... they won't find any in the average freezer!

Originally Posted by Matt Smith

Rosemary Beetles are a bit tougher than that Paul....

I have a colony in my garden which have been there for years, it was the 4th known British site for them at one time. The beetles are active all through the winter and only disappear off the rosemary during actual periods of snow. Once the snow goes, the beetles climb back up onto the plants.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by loripo

They are also partial to sage...

.... hyssop, thyme, mint and most other labiate herbs. Despite their name, I've always found them most partial to lavender - Lavandula angustulata specifically.

[Anzu]

The beetles have come to a sticky end..