Ladybugs

Walking down the main footpath I noticed this ladybird on a young sycamore. As you can see it is orange and not the usual red variety. It is, as you might guess, an Orange ladybird.We have over 20 different kinds of ladybirds in Britain varying from the common 7-spot to the 24-spot, Adonis,Kidney-spot, 2-spot and Striped. They are harmless creatures whose main purpose in life is to eat as many greenfly as possible. Very occasionally huge numbers appear - I think the last time was in the late 1970s - then some problems can occur and there have been reports of people being bitten. But don't worry it is only a mild nip!

As it happened the very next sycamore I looked at had this beastie crawling on its leaves. It is the larva of the Orange Ladybird. It too has a voracious appetite for greenfly, etc. When it has fully gorged itself it pupates and re-emerges as the ladybird seen above.

These too are harmless to man, but beware the Harlequin ladybird and its larva. The Harlequin is an introduced species which is causing havoc in the ladybird world. It is bigger, longer lived and reproduces more frequently than our natives. As a result it is out competing - not to mention eating - our friendly locals. Measures may have to be taken to combat its spread. Another nasty habit of this beastie is that it is not adverse to giving a sharp nip to humans - as my daughter found out earlier in the year as she picked up one in the larva stage. NA