Ladybirds

[frogwoman]

Anyone else into our spotty friends? I'm not sure this is the right place but oh well.
During the lockdown a 7 spot laid eggs in our sage plant and we ended up having around 30 ladybirds in total hatching. I've always been a huge fan of them and have seen a few interesting things such as an overwintering group of several thousand 16 spots on a tree in my local park about two years ago.

In the last year I've seen a heather ladybird and Adonis ladybirds for the first time. What about everyone else?

 

[frogwoman]

Here's one I saw today - a cream streaked ladybird.

 

[frogwoman]

Here's one me and a friend found while on a recording day/ bug hunt at Perivale Wood last year - Nephus quadrimaculatus (now known as the four spotted Nephus).

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Ladybirds are great little insects. Not seen one for a long time though.

 

[frogwoman]

Ladybirds are great little insects. Not seen one for a long time though.

Where abouts are you?

 

[Duncan2]

Matter of fact I saved one from drowning in a flooded plant-pot just this morning.Here in the Midlands we have lots and this year I am seeing very many of an attractive butterscotch hue as opposed to the blood red bugs of previous years.
It seems they are called ladybirds in English (and Marienkafer in German) because of an association in Christian countries with la vierge (cf.Wikipedia).Supposed to be lucky.

 

[frogwoman]

Matter of fact I saved one from drowning in a flooded plant-pot just this morning.Here in the Midlands we have lots and this year I am seeing very many of an attractive butterscotch hue as opposed to the blood red bugs of previous years.

oh cool <3 nice one for rescuing it! Yeah they're very varied indeed.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Where abouts are you?

Somewhere with no ladybirds it seems.

 

[frogwoman]

About 47 different types of ladybird in the UK and more than 6000 worldwide.

 

[nogojones]

Seen hardly any this year, maybe three at most and a couple of larvae. This was one of those. Maybe they're in short supply round here as they are more interested in tickling my arm than munching aphids

 

[frogwoman]

Seen hardly any this year, maybe three at most and a couple of larvae. This was one of those. Maybe they're in short supply round here as they are more interested in tickling my arm than munching aphids
View attachment 229399

A 2 spot, lucky you. They're a rare treat these days.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Repost of a Harlequin ladybird larva I snapped recently

 

[Numbers]

Growing up we called them Merrigoulds/Merrygoulds?

 

[wayward bob]

the orange ones are not our friends but the red ones are

 

[frogwoman]

the orange ones are not our friends but the red ones are

That's not really true tbh. ladybirds are usually orange/yellow when they first emerge from the pupa
Here's an orange 7 spot which had only hatched a few days before the photo was taken.

 

[frogwoman]

You can't really tell 'good' or 'bad' ladybirds based on colour. I got really angry with someone on instagram who killed a kidney spot they found thinking it was a harlequin harlequin ladybirds are here to stay and there's no point whatsoever in trying to kill them

 

[frogwoman]

Repost of a Harlequin ladybird larva I snapped recently

View attachment 229405

If you want I can add you to the Ladybirds of UK fb group .

 

[wayward bob]

i remember when they were asking us to report the spread of harlequins... happy to hear their reputation has been redeemed.

 

[Steel Icarus]

If you want I can add you to the Ladybirds of UK fb group .

No ta, I'm barely on Fb

 

[nogojones]

You can't really tell 'good' or 'bad' ladybirds based on colour. I got really angry with someone on instagram who killed a kidney spot they found thinking it was a harlequin harlequin ladybirds are here to stay and there's no point whatsoever in trying to kill them

True. You need to question them on their values before you can judge them

 

[frogwoman]

i remember when they were asking us to report the spread of harlequins... happy to hear their reputation has been redeemed.

They're established in the UK and play a role in killing pests etc. They can easily be mistaken for rarer native species too.

 

[frogwoman]

Here's an Adonis ladybird.

 

[spanglechick]

I’m very fond of ladybirds

They look so appealing, with their most un-insect-like roundness and smart colouring. And polka dots! I think if I was in charge of designing insects they‘d look like ladybirds. Also, they’re fierce carnivores - I like them being both cute and bad-ass.

Also, they never seemed to mind being picked up and set to walk over my hand as a child. When it got to tiresome for them they would flitter away, so presumably up until then they were cool with it.

 

[frogwoman]

Here's some from my local park. Both native, 7 and 16 spot.

 

[Crispy]

A bollard on my street was covered in harlequin larvae earlier this year, so I scooped them all up gently into a cup and distribnued them on the roses in the front garden

 

[frogwoman]

A recent selection

 

[fishfinger]

A bollard on my street was covered in harlequin larvae earlier this year, so I scooped them all up...

Crispy, seen earlier with his victims:

 

[Gaia]

A bollard on my street was covered in harlequin larvae earlier this year, so I scooped them all up gently into a cup and distribnued them on the roses in the front garden

That may not have the desired result because harlequins have been known to prey on our native species, and they often carry a bacterium which is harmless to them, but kills our native species). They can also bite.

 

[Badgers]

This winters bathroom Loveliness is now up to 12 members. The kitchen window is luring a lot more in so expect some more to make the migration to the bathroom.

 

[frogwoman]

That may not have the desired result because harlequins have been known to prey on our native species, and they often carry a bacterium which is harmless to them, but kills our native species). They can also bite.

You still shouldn't kill them tho (not that I'm saying you would) they're very easily mistaken for native species and even experts can get confused. I've heard about people killing rare ladybirds thinking they were harlequins because they had never seen the type before