Invasive Beetles in the Area – by L. Peterson

 

There are so many nonnative species in the Malta area that we could go on for weeks, but I will conclude with the three invasive beetles you are most likely to come across in your typical garden: The red lily leaf beetle, the Japanese beetle, and the ladybug!

First off, anyone who has any type of lilies in their yards will likely have already encountered the red lily leaf beetle, courtesy of Asia. Brilliant red on top, with black legs, head and underside, these beetles will strip every true lily (the lilium species) as well as the fritillaria species of all its leaves, eventually killing it. Introduced in Canada in 1945 and the New England area later in 1992, these strong-flying beetles rapidly spread throughout the northeast. They are small, less than half an inch in length, and winter in the soil in order to emerge in the spring, when they feast and mate

 

Read the entire article in the Aug. 7 issue of the Express.