Check out this fella. I thought he was very attractive at first - metallic, almost jewel like. So I did a little Google and it turns out him and his crew have taken a liking to our Rosemary bush and are working their way through its juicy leaves.Chrysolina Americana or the Rosemary Beetle is actually from Southern Europe and has been found in the UK since around 1994, mainly in London but slowly spreading. The RHS are monitoring the spread of this pest so if you want to record your sighting submit your record here.
It seems there are no natural predators for this pest so currently the RHS are recommending either hand picking the adults and larvae off or using a suitable insecticide. I think I'll try the hand picking first to see if I can reduce the population enough for the plant to bounce back.
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