The Ladybird thread (1 Viewer)

Brian Bullough · Aug 1, 2006

Larry Wheatland said:
I'm no expert, but I think it could be a 10 spot (Adalia decimpunctata...scientific name could even be wrong !). They are very variable, and similar in size to the also very variable 2 spot (Adalia bipunctata), but apparently have yellowish rather than black legs. Was it the size of a 2 spot ?

There where two this one about only 3-4mm other even smaller am I right in thinking they are a new hatch do Ladybirds change to adult colour,not sure of the leg colour as original photo not on this computer .
Brian

Brian Stone · Aug 1, 2006

This page should be helpful:
http://www.ladybird-survey.org/UKladybirds/ID.htm

Looks like a 10-spot to me.

Stuart Read · Aug 2, 2006

It is a 10-spot Ladybird

Stuart.

paul mabbott · Aug 4, 2006

Brian Bullough said:
There where two this one about only 3-4mm other even smaller am I right in thinking they are a new hatch do Ladybirds change to adult colour,not sure of the leg colour as original photo not on this computer .
Brian

Everyone has this right - 10-spot ladybird - but, to answer your question, and for future reference ...
This could only be Adalia decempunctata or Harmonia quadripunctata because of (a) the pronotum (forebody) with lots of black spots on white and (b) the pale legs (not really 'yellow' - usually shades of brown but *never* all black). Despite their Latin names, both of these species are very variable. H. quadripunctata (the cream-streaked ladybird) may have between 0 and 16 spots - thus its European name [the four-spot ladybird] is not applicable in UK; it usually has two rows of black spots on the pronotum. It is quite large (5-6mms long).
The 10-spot may have between 0-21 spots, sometimes in strange patterns and often with spots of varying sizes. It also has two melanic forms (all black with two moon-shaped anterior red patches and black with ten (8/12) red/orange patches *but* usually has some white remaining on the pronotum and some brown on the legs.
I'm writing a web-page on Adalia variants (http://www.ladybird-survey.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/adalia.htm ) but this has gone a little acock and I haven't looked at it for several months ... sorry.
Paul
PS: I hope you're logging these observations http://www.ladybird-survey.org/ and everyone else is doing the same!

paul mabbott · Aug 4, 2006

... and then I didn't answer your questions!
Ladybirds almost always have plain, buff elytra (wing cases) when they emerge from pupae - the pronota (forebodies) are generally patterned on emergence). The black spots develop fairly quickly (6-24 hours) but the ground colour may take much longer to develop, particularly in the 10-spot and, indeed, may often stay yellow/orange rather than red.
You can see one of the legs (right, fore) on your picture - clearly pale.
Paul

Brian Bullough said:
am I right in thinking they are a new hatch do Ladybirds change to adult colour,not sure of the leg colour as original photo not on this computer .
Brian

paul mabbott · Aug 8, 2006

We tend to think that haxy (Harmonia axyridis, the 'harlequin' ladybird) is very distinctive (if very varied) and it's hard to confuse it with most common native species *but* of course, it has a sister species (Harmonia quadripunctata, the cream-streaked ladybird). I was a bit worried a few weeks back to find Harmonia larvae on a pine tree in the garden - had I inadvertently released haxy into Yorkshire? They look very much like haxy (see www.harlequin-survey.org) .... 1st picture.
When these pupated, I collected the pupae (2nd picture) which also looks very much like axy with a crown of spikes at one end. But when the imagines emerged, they were clearly H. quadripunctata although some (3rd picture) had elytra very much like haxy .....

paul mabbott said:
A lot of the current generation of Harmonia axyridis are poorly spotted or un-spotted - seems to be an early summer phenomenon.

paul mabbott · Aug 14, 2006

I've mentioned on Tanny's excellent thread on the life history of orange ladybirds (Halyzia sedecimguttata) that another species, Adonis' (Hippodamia variegata) is being seen quite a lot this year - it is not often seen and never in the same place twice: likes weedy vegetation particularly on sandy soils and commonly near the coast or the Thames. Well worth looking out for. It's always useful to get *any* records of *any* ladybirds but some of the "uncommon" ones aren't as uncommon as we think!

paul mabbott · Sep 7, 2006

I've just heard of sightings of the 'harlequin' ladybird, Harmonia axyridis in the green spaces of outer London. It seems to be behaving as last year - reproducing unseen in the summer and then flying and reproducing again in the autumn. One of the American names for the beast is the 'hallowe'en' ladybird - quite appropriate as it tends to come into houses looking for shelter at the end of October!

Tanny · Sep 8, 2006

22 Spot

This might be the year of the Orange Ladybird but it also has been a good year for the other mildew eater, the 22 Spot Ladybird, I seem to find them quite regularly and the other day I found over six adults and one pupae on one mildew covered Comfray plant.

paul mabbott · Sep 13, 2006

London ladybirds in autumn

I had a good look around west London this week, mainly searching for ladybirds and finding very few (in great contrast to the situation last year: http://www.ladybird-survey.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/harlequin.htm ). Only found 1 adult 2-spot, 3 larval orange ladybirds and lots of pupae (mainly dead) of the pine ladybird, Exochomus quadripustulatus. These were all associated with horse-chestnut scale, Pulvinaria regalis as in the picture. The pine pupae are the black bodies in a boat shaped shed skin.

The yellow bodies are ladybird eggs which I suspect are Harmonia axyridis, the 'harlequin'. This is now the most common ladybird in London although not yet abundant as last year. I only saw half a dozen adults but plenty of larvae and eggs so it may be another couple of weeks before we get many of them flying around.

The national survey map http://www.harlequin-survey.org/ shows that the beast continues to spread, being seen on Merseyside and Humberside but also at the tips of Cornwall and south Wales .... keep looking near you!

Colin · Sep 13, 2006

Paul,
Thanks for the update. I have not posted on this thread recently but my sightings this year have been similar to last year and that is very few seen. I don't know why but as far as I am concerned, Ladybirds are becoming a bit of a rarity here in Gloucestershire.

As an aside:-
Yesterday I had a female Migrant Hawker Dragonfly come into the foyer of the apartment block where I live. It had exhausted itself trying to get out and I was able to view it closely before it recovered and escaped. A beautiful creature.

paul mabbott · Sep 14, 2006

Another for the shopping bag ...

I haven't seen the specimen yet but another exotic seems to have been imported with food. In July Marcel Ashby found a convergent ladybird (Hippodamia convergens: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/imagegallery/lady/ihconvergens.html ) in his coriander! This is a very uniform species (our rare species the 13-spot, Hippodamia tredecimpunctata is the nearest similar) which is identified by the two diagonal, convergent markings on its forebody.
Keep looking in the veg!

paul mabbott said:
.... the African Cheinomeles lunata, has been found on grapes in Perth (Scotland). This very distinctive, large ladybird was last found in good numbers during the winter of 2001-2, also on grapes. Lots of other interesting ladybirds and other insects may be found on southern hemisphere importance - makes shopping more interesting!

paul mabbott · Sep 27, 2006

.... and I can confirm the first record from South Yorkshire ...
Lots of observations of newly emerged 'harlequins' (and other ladybirds). *If* its stays warm then they may reproduce yet again (unlike the natives) although I have doubts: one of my weather forecasts is for snow at the weekend!

paul mabbott said:
The national survey map http://www.harlequin-survey.org/ shows that the beast continues to spread, being seen on Merseyside and Humberside but also at the tips of Cornwall and south Wales .... keep looking near you!

paul mabbott · Oct 14, 2006

Popping up all over the place - first one for North Yorks this week.
The 'harlequin' has been seen on trains bound for Edinburgh so it may not be long before it appears in Scotland?

paul mabbott said:
.... and I can confirm the first record from South Yorkshire ...
Lots of observations of newly emerged 'harlequins' (and other ladybirds). *If* its stays warm then they may reproduce yet again (unlike the natives) although I have doubts: one of my weather forecasts is for snow at the weekend!

paul mabbott · Oct 31, 2006

Happy Hallowe'en! One of the many common names of Harmonia axyridis is the 'hallowe'en beetle' because, in USA, it comes into peoples' houses at this time of year. Seems to be true here as well - lots popping up in conservatories and sheds but, as yet, none of the mass intrusions that happened in USA. Threatend with chilly nights for the next few days so expect some visitors!

Tanny · Nov 1, 2006

I visited my favourite place for wintering Ladybirds today and was lucky to even find one. It look like I will have to wait till the Spring tides wash them out of the marsh like it did last year. The fence posts were I saw them hibernating were empty. I did find two 10-Spot and three 7-Spot, along with a Spider and six Dragonflies, all soaking up the sun.

sue webster · Nov 25, 2006

ladybird

just seen a brown ladybird with creamy coloured spots on it in lines . anyone know what species it could be ? i thought ladybirds were in hibernation now sue. :bounce:

paul mabbott · Nov 25, 2006

Hello, Sue. This is most probably the cream-streaked ladybird Calvia quattuordecimguttata - short have 14 creamy spots? There is another brown ladybird in UK (18-spot) and the orange ladybird sometimes looks brownish! Picturs on my page: http://www.ladybird-survey.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/londonla.htm

Ladybirds will continueto be active until it gets very cold - indeed they may become active in deep midwinter. There is a little peak of ladybird activity especially for species like cream-spot because they spend most of the year up in the leaves of trees. When the leavess fall, the ladybirds have to seek some other shelter!

sue webster said:
just seen a brown ladybird with creamy coloured spots on it in lines . anyone know what species it could be ? i thought ladybirds were in hibernation now sue. :bounce:

sue webster · Nov 27, 2006

ladybird

paul mabbott said:
Hello, Sue. This is most probably the cream-streaked ladybird Calvia quattuordecimguttata - short have 14 creamy spots? There is another brown ladybird in UK (18-spot) and the orange ladybird sometimes looks brownish! Picturs on my page: http://www.ladybird-survey.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/londonla.htm

Ladybirds will continueto be active until it gets very cold - indeed they may become active in deep midwinter. There is a little peak of ladybird activity especially for species like cream-spot because they spend most of the year up in the leaves of trees. When the leavess fall, the ladybirds have to seek some other shelter!

hi paul ,thanks for telling what the ladybird is,never seen this one before, sue :bounce:

paul mabbott · Nov 27, 2006

sue webster said:
hi paul ,thanks for telling what the ladybird is,never seen this one before, sue :bounce:

No problem. It's quite common really but not seen all that often because it spends most of its time in tree-tops! A very elegant ladybird, I think - not as gaudy as some!

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