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The Ladybird thread (1 Viewer)

Just wondered if anyone can help.

At Whisby Nature Reserve (near Lincoln) on Monday, we saw an orange coloured Ladybird, with lots of white spots. It was orange and not faded red!

It landed on my arm! unfortunately it flew off before I could get a picture.

Can you one tell me what kind of Ladybird it is, if it is indeed a Ladybird.
 
lee_adc said:
Just wondered if anyone can help.

At Whisby Nature Reserve (near Lincoln) on Monday, we saw an orange coloured Ladybird, with lots of white spots. It was orange and not faded red!

It landed on my arm! unfortunately it flew off before I could get a picture.

Can you one tell me what kind of Ladybird it is, if it is indeed a Ladybird.

Hello Lee,

You virtually named it yourself, It's the Orange Ladybird. See:-

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=34566

The first photograph.


Harry
 
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Ladybird spot confusion

Hi,

What ladybirds are these? The dark one appears to be a two spotted variant, but the other one has more spots. The face of both seems right for bipunctata. Anyone?

Thanks,
André
 

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jonafly said:
Hi Alan,

I guess you're right here, since I've ;ooked at a zillion images of 'normal' ladybirds, and nothing comes close. So I'll stick to your ID.

Oh, since you seem to know a lot about beetles, do you know what this is?

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=36775

Thanks,

André

Hi André,

Sorry, I cannot help on this one.

I wish I knew a lot about beetles, but I am still far from that happy state.

Alan
 
UK Ladybird Distribution

I have been searching for some distribution information, preferably in the form of maps for UK ladybirds. I have tried Google etc and have found several interesting sites with information on hibernation types, id pointers especially the tricky ones with lots of variation etc. but I have not found any distribution maps. Can anyone help? :stuck:

Secondly, can anyone recommend any books on ladybirds, preferably UK and Europe.

Thanks in advance.
 
Colin said:
I have been searching for some distribution information, preferably in the form of maps for UK ladybirds. I have tried Google etc and have found several interesting sites with information on hibernation types, id pointers especially the tricky ones with lots of variation etc. but I have not found any distribution maps. Can anyone help? :stuck:

Secondly, can anyone recommend any books on ladybirds, preferably UK and Europe.

Thanks in advance.

Hello Colin,
There is an excellent book by Michael Majerus in The New Naturalist Series, called Ladybirds.
It has just gone out of print, your local Waterstones bookshop may still have a copy or be able to get one from another of their branches. It is restricted to British species. It was available in paperback and hardback form, buy the latter if you have won the lottery.

The last of the printers stock was bought by Pemberly Books and he is selling them at £25.00 a copy. See the second advert on this URL:-

http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?y=7&kn=New+New+Naturalists&tn=Ladybirds&x=38

I note that one U.S. book dealer is selling a copy for no less than £500.00 I presume it is the hardback version.

There is another book also called 'Ladybirds' by Majerus and Kearns, I also have a copy of this but it isn't much good for identifying, being aimed at encouraging scientific study of these beetles by students.

Pemberly Books are a reliable company and I have bought from them several times in the past. You can order by phone using a credit or debit card.

the NHBS has the following book on their website See:-

http://www.nhbs.com/catalogue/display/t=84387

The Current Status of Ladybirds in Britain: Final Report of the Cambridge Ladybird Survey, 1984-1994
Michael EN Majerus
144 pages, tabs, 28 distrib maps.
Dr M Majerus
Spiralbound | 1995 | £16.95 | approx. $30/€25 add to basket
#90650W

Sorry there's not much else about.

Harry
(Bird Forums insect book finder extraordiaire) :brains:
 
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Nigel,
Thanks for that. It was one of the few sites that I managed to find and I may well contact them as you suggest.

Harry,
Thanks very much for all the information. I will try out a couple of my book shops tomorrow and also take a look at the sites that you have listed. It would appear as you say to not be much about and it was not my ineptitude :-C at searching that was my problem - at least not too much.
 
Another good book on the subject is Ladybirds of Surrey by Roger D Hawkins available from the Surrey Wildlife Trust, School Lane, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0JN or online at www.surreywildlifetrust.co.uk
It deals in detail all the species occuring in Surrey & briefly the one that doesn't (5-spot)

Stuart.
 
"I have been searching for some distribution information, preferably in the form of maps for UK ladybirds. I have tried Google etc and have found several interesting sites with information on hibernation types, id pointers especially the tricky ones with lots of variation etc. but I have not found any distribution maps. Can anyone help? :stuck:

Secondly, can anyone recommend any books on ladybirds, preferably UK and Europe."

Colin, some links here :-

http://www.ladybird-survey.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/links.htm

Regards

Malky
 
Ladybirds

I have been looking for Ladybirds here in the south west of England, specifically the Forest of Dean and the Severn Valley in several different types of habitat but have found very few specimens indeed this year. Do other members concur with the scarcity of ladybirds or is it just me either being inept or just having bad luck. I get a sneaky feeling that the overall numbers are down but I have no scientific data to back up my hunches.
 
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Colin said:
I have been looking for Ladybirds here in the south west of England, specifically the Forest of Dean and the Severn Valley in several different types of habitat but have found very few specimens indeed this year. Do other members concur with the scarcity of ladybirds or is it just me either being inept or just having bad luck. I get a sneaky feeling that the overall numbers are down but I have no scientific data to back up my hunches.
Very scarce in North Wales this year !
 
themexican said:
Very scarce in North Wales this year !

Hi
Our local paper,Weston and Worle news,has an article on Harlequin Ladybirds in which it states the Harlequin is outcompeting the natives for food in Somerset.It also says the Harlequin is preying on native Ladybirds when food is short.
I have not noticed many Ladybirds or Aphids in the garden this year,maybe it`s the lack of Aphids that is causing the Ladybird scarcity.
 
Stranger/Mexican,
Thanks for the replies. This is a strange one. It seems with several of the warmer months gone (August tomorrow) I have suddenly realised that I have seen almost no Ladybirds this year. It's not a case of a dwindling supply but virtually none at all, all year. Can't think it can be the intruders otherwise I would have seen them. Maybe it is the lack of food?
 

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