Lilioceris lilii Insect Coleopter Leaf Beetle Chrysomelidae

Lilioceris lilii mm 6-8 Insect Coleopter Leaf Beetle Chrysomelidae.
Common name: Scarlet Lily Beetle.

Lilioceris lilii (Scopoli, 1763) is a polyphagous beetle of Chrysomelidae family. Native to Eurasia, it has become a pest in temperate zones, where there are crops of Liliaceae. It is spread all over the Italian distribution area.
They are active from March to April, with the pairings and oviposition on vegetation, up to late autumn, and then winter in late autumn in various garden shelters.
The larvae surround themselves with blackish droppings, that drying to form a protective cover from predators. They feed for about 16-24 days, then pupate in the soil from the stage of the chrysalis (during 16-22 days) emerging adults.
Larvae and adults feed on leaves, stems, buds and flowers of plants belonging to the lily family, especially parasitize kinds Lilium sp. and Fritillaria sp.