There seem to be fewer this year than there were last but apparently they are about from May to October, so perhaps I am in for a surprise in the months to come ;-) The photo below, I am assuming of there eggs, leads me to believe that there will be a few more about later on!
The Rosemary bush survived their onslaught last year so fingers crossed it comes through relatively unscathed again this year. Their metallic green and red stripes are pretty impressive so they are definitely an interesting addition to the garden. If a few consumed Rosemary leaves are the only cost for their presence then it is a small price to pay to be able to watch them thrive in the garden. Well fingers crossed they don't thrive too much ;-)
a few further details:
- Scientific name: Chrysolina americana
- Size: Approx 8mm long
- Distribution: Found in parts of Scotland, Wales and England (especially in the southern counties)
- Months seen: May to October
- Habitat: Gardens, allotments and parks - including my garden!
- Food: Rosemary, thyme and other herbs
Despite their name they are a native of Southern Europe. I guess along with all other Southern European species, they are starting to thrive in the UK as the weather warms up a little ;-)
That's all for now.
cheers
m
I eat my lunches in a park with a healthy population of Rosemary beetles. There are also a number of those blobs of foam. I think they're not the beetles' eggs, but rather aphid output of some sort. If you get a twig and fish around inside you may be able to haul out a little green critter about the size of two pinheads.
ReplyDeleteThis was really an interesting topic and I kinda agree with what you have mentioned here! Mobile App Developers
ReplyDelete