Head to head
Lily Beetle vs Colorado Potato Beetle
Lily Beetle
VS Colorado Potato Beetle
The lily beetle and Colorado potato beetle are two leaf-eating beetles that have spread far beyond their original ranges as pests of gardens and crops.
| Lily Beetle | Colorado Potato Beetle | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Lilioceris lilii | Leptinotarsa decemlineata |
| Colour | A bright scarlet body and wing cases, with a black head, legs, and antennae | Alternating black and yellowish-white stripes running down its rounded wing covers |
| Host plants | The leaves and flowers of lilies and fritillaries | The leaves of potato plants and related nightshade species |
| Pest damage | A major pest of cultivated lilies and fritillaries, where the grubs can strip the leaves | One of the most economically damaging pests of potato crops globally, able to defoliate whole fields |
| Survival tricks | Squeaks when disturbed, drops to the ground landing on its black underside, and has grubs that cover themselves in their own droppings | Has evolved resistance to nearly every major class of insecticide used against it |
| Origin | Native to Europe and Asia | Native to the Rocky Mountain region of North America, where it originally fed on wild nightshade |
| Spread | Spread to North America and other regions with the trade in garden plants | Spread across most of North America, Europe, and parts of Asia after adapting to cultivated potatoes in the 1800s |
| Conservation status | Not Evaluated globally, though widespread and increasing in gardens | Least Concern |
Lily Beetle vs Colorado Potato Beetle: common questions
Which beetle squeaks?
The lily beetle, which makes a squeaking noise by rubbing part of its abdomen against its wing cases.
Why do lily beetle grubs look like droppings?
They cover themselves in a slimy layer of their own black droppings, which hides them and deters predators.
Which one resists insecticides?
The Colorado potato beetle, which has evolved resistance to nearly every major class of insecticide used against it.