well first thing is to kill it. i just stand on them. then I'd check under the leaves for any bright red eggs, they are about 1-2mm long. just rub them off with your finger/thumb. check the plants regularly for a slimy black grub on the leaves. these also need wiping off though the slimy stuff is their poo, so gloves might be a good idea.

keep checking your plants and then the same procedure next year and as long as you grow lilies.

When you try to catch them they tend to drop off and get lost, so hold a container under the leaf before you disturb it. It does seem a shame to kill them, they are so pretty, but what can you do? Its them or the lilies...And remember they can fly away if you aren't quick enough!

They have a habit of landing red-side-down if you knock them off your plants, making them difficult to spot. They will start to make an appearance next year as soon as we get some warm weather. They will also attack fritilliaries as well as lilies.

Thank you everyone. I have despatched the one i kept to the 'lily Beetle graveyard' along with another one I found. I've sprayed with 'bug clear' just to be on the safe side.
Andrewr;- The second beetle I found was on my Dalias and they'd had a good old chew by the looks of things.

Steragram;- I agree, and if I hadn't read somethin about them on here I probably would have left it. Mind you, don't they say that bright colours are usually a sign of something nasty?

Just as a matter of interest, the lilies in question are in large pots but I would like to group them together in a much larger pot. Do I let the plants die back and repot next spring or should I transplant now? Thanks!!

If you collect 3 lily beetles and shake them in your hand or in jar etc, then listen to them...they make an amazing noise! Then squash them!!

Lol Volunteer!

I'd wait until they have died down. remove them from their old pots and check the bulbs for any pests, vine weevil grubs and lily beetle grubs. you can then repot them in fresh compost into your new pot. I often plant spring bulbs in with them so I have flowers early on and also violas/pansies/primulas for flowers now and into spring.

I also sprinkle some slow release granules to keep nutrient levels decent as a lot of plants are in my pots.

Thank you Seaburngirl, that sounds a great idea. I hate to have 'bare' pots and often like to 'underplant' or 'overplant' if I can, so thanks for the idea I'll put that into action.