What’s small, has shiny bright red wings, a black head and legs and is capable of destroying a lot of ornamental plants? It’s the red lily beetle and it’s the terror of many gardeners worldwide.

Also known as the lily leaf beetle, this small insect is notorious in areas where lilies are cultivated. First seen in Montreal, the red lily beetle has spread throughout Canada and in some parts of the United States.

“They are often confused with the cardinal beetles since they also have a black underside and wings that are spotless and red in color. However, lily leaf beetles have wings that are shinier with tiny dimples on them. They are more rounded in shape compared to the dull, narrow, flattened and elongated cardinal beetle,” according to the editors of Wikipedia.

“Another difference between the two is their food preference. Lily leaf beetles are herbivores and are usually found on lily plants eating their leaves whereas cardinal beetles are usually found on tree barks and flowers and feed on flying insects. Lastly, the cardinal beetle has comb-like antennae,” they added.

As its name implies, the red lily beetle has a voracious appetite for lilies. Females can lay up to 450 eggs each season or about 12 eggs on the backside of each lily leaf. In this way, the eggs are concealed from predators. For extra protection, they are also covered with a thick brown substance.

The eggs hatch in about six days. The larvae start to feed under the leaf for the next 24 days until they finish the rest of the plant.

“They then burrow themselves in the ground to pupate in a cocoon formed by saliva and small particles of soil. In about 20 days, they emerge as adults and continue to feed until winter. In some cases, they are able to go through this cycle more than once in a single year,” said Wikipedia.

The damage left by this small insect is by no means minor. It can leave lilies weakened and susceptible to diseases.

The Royal Horticultural Society of Britain has recently spotted this pest destroying large areas of ornamental gardens. Unfortunately, this insect is difficult to eradicate and gardeners are usually advised to avoid planting susceptible plants.

“Once a garden is infected, it is incredibly difficult to grow plants without using dangerous pesticides that risk affecting other insects and beetles,” said Oliver Gregory of the Telegraph.Co.UK.

So don’t be surprised if your florist runs out of lilies one of these days. It’s probably due to brisk sales or the onslaught of red lily beetles. To satisfy your need for flowers, take your pick from other beautiful blooms instead.

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There was a time when people thought that you had to be professionally trained dancer in order to pull off ballroom dancing. With shows like “Dancing with the Stars”, people quickly began to realize that with a little practice anyone can be graceful. All you need to do is know basic ballroom dance steps and the terminology of dances.

Going back a few years, swing dancing was all the rave as there were several very popular bands that featured this type of dance and music. The triple step is very popular in swing is a three step sequence based on two beats of music. When trying to keep the rhythm of the triple step you’ll often hear people use a counting method of quick-quick-slow.

One of the more popular forms of swing dancing is the East Coast swing. This incorporates the triple step in the rock step. The rock step is a two step sequence with a slow-slow count. When the steps are combined they usually come together in two triple steps in one rock step.

One popular swing dance is the Carolina shag. This particular ballroom dance combines the triple step and the kick ball change instead of the rock step. This is a little more fast-paced and has a count of “one- and- two”.

There are many different types of ballroom dance steps involved in ballroom dancing. Other ones include the anchor step, sailor step, coaster step, lock step and the grapevine step. You will find them all in various combinations in the many different forms of ballroom dancing. A little coordination and good timing will go a long way in successfully learning them.

It may seem a little intimidating at first, but once you learn the basics, ballroom dancing can actually be quite easy. If you have ever been to an event, it looks as though all the dancers have rehearsed their moves and somehow managed not to bump into each other. In actuality, it is merely that everyone is the timing of the steps and can quickly blend in without any disruption to anyone else’s dancing.

If you take a few lessons and practice, you should be able to quickly pick up the basic ballroom dance steps and before you know it, you will be gracing the dance floor with confidence. There is no reason for anyone not to be able to enjoy the beauty and elegance of ballroom dancing.