Beetles - Ladybirds

BEETLES - ALL

2 Spot ladybird

Adalia bipunctata

Date

19.07.2004

Sighting

  • Found on Fuschia in back garden.

2 spot ladybird
2 spot ladybird

25.05.2005

  • On nettles on roadside ditch bank.

On hatching, the soft bodied larva feeds voraciously on aphids for about two to three weeks and goes through four intermediate larval stages to accomodate body growth before pupating. At each stage it can appear subtly different and, in the early stages, positive identification can be difficult.

2 spot ladybird larva
2 spot ladybird larva

The third image illustrates the transition process from larva to pupa.

2 spot ladybird pupa
2 spot ladybird pupa
2 spot ladybird pupa
2 spot ladybird pupa

The larva becomes dull and slowly shrinks into the 'hunched up' form of the pupal state shown in the fourth image.

Over the course of six days, the pupal case becomes dull black and shriveled, before the transformed adult 2 spot ladybird emerges.

The new adult emerges full sized but, pale creamy brown colour in colour, with just the vaguest suggestion of dark spots and will take some 36 hours to attain normal coloration.

2 spot ladybird pupa
2 spot ladybird pupa

09.03.2006

  • Indoors and very active.

02.07.2006

  • Recently formed pupa found at Whisby Nature Reserve.

  • Adult emerged from pupal case and started feeding on aphids.

07.07.2006

06/08.09.2007

  • Two adults emerged two days apart from pupae found on willow behind Horncastle PO.

08.07.2012

  • Newly emerged adults released onto Silver Birch from whence the pupae came.

  • First of the year found on a sunny window frame.

12.03.2010

06.04.2009

  • Very active for first of year sighting.

At 5mm this is smaller than the more common 7 spot ladybird but, it is abundant throughout Europe and is often found in quite large groups hibernating through the winter in sheltered nooks and crannies.

It can be quite varied in its coloration. The image is representative of the red and orange forms.

The black form usually has a pure black 'pronotum', that's the area of the thorax just in front of the wing cases. But, just to confuse things, it can also have more than two spots! Four spot forms are not unusual.

Colour variation can be determined by both genetic and environmental factors.

The red forms are reputed to survive the winter better, whereas the black forms appear to have much better reproduction rates.

During this time it will be soft bodied, very vulnerable and will tend to seek a safe refuge so, it is not a state commonly seen.

2 spot, Kidney-spot ladybird

Chilocorus renipustulatus

At 5mm in length, I had originally assumed this to be the black form of the 2-spot ladybird but, expert opinion has pointed out that it is more representative of the Kidney-spot ladybird.

Date

01.09.2005

Sighting

  • Several found around the garden.

Kidney-spot ladybird
Kidney-spot ladybird

While the spots on this specimen do not appear particularly 'kidney shaped', they are 'within the normal variation' for the species.

01.02.2007

  • One found on Leylandii foliage brought down by wind.

Chilocorus renipustulatus
Chilocorus renipustulatus

The distinctive features being that whereas the 2-spot is quite ovoid in shape, this one is more circular (a characteristic of the chilocorine group of ladybirds), and that the red spots are placed rather farther forward on the elytra than the 2-spot's centrally placed spots.

4 spot, Pine ladybird

Exochomus 4-pustulatus

The Pine ladybird is another small species, just a little over 4mm in overall length. So its dull red spots are not too easy to see against its black elytra. But the unique identifier for this species is the 'comma-like' shape of the two front spots.

Date

24.08.2007

Sighting

  • Found on garage wall underneath Horse Chestnut tree.

Pine ladybird
Pine ladybird

Although called the Pine ladybird (because it was initially identified preying on scale insects on pine trees) it is now recognised to prey on scale insects found on other trees as well. So it is just as likely to be found on Ash, Horse Chestnut, Sycamore and Lime trees.

7 Spot Ladybird

Coccinella septempunctata

Not quite the largest of the ladybirds at 8mm, but probably the best known.

It is universally known as the gardener's friend on account of the prodigious number of aphids it consumes, both in larval and adult form.

Date

24.04.2004

Sighting

  • Adult found on young nettles.

02.07.2004

  • Larva on rose bush by pondside in back garden.

03.08.2007

  • Adult seen in coarse hedgebottom vegetation.

01.04.2009

  • A few early larva found.

The female can lay up to 200 eggs. From birth the larvae predate on aphids and in their three week larval state will account for hundreds - and grow to some 13mm, much larger than the adult.

7 Spot Ladybird
7 Spot Ladybird
7 Spot Ladybird larva
7 Spot Ladybird larva

The adults hibernate over winter and become active from April onwards, depending on weather conditions. The resident UK population is also supplemented by migrants from the continent.

7 Spot, Adonis ladybird

Hippodamia variegata

The more one becomes aware of ladybirds, the more one realises that nothing should be taken for granted. As this one scuttled down the long grass stem, I assumed that it was a 2 Spot. Then I caught sight of another spot and, on close inspection, found that there were seven spots - all on a 5mm ladybird only about half the size of a 'normal' 7 Spot species.

Date

Sighting

01.08.2006

  • Found in long grass at base of hawthorn hedge.

15.08.2008

  • On Dog Rose growing in hawthorn hedge.

The other thing of note was that whereas the 'normal' 7 Spotter has an almost circular body shape, this one was rather 'shield' shaped with 6 spots displaced towards the rear.

But, before I could congratulate myself that I had identified another species, I discovered the significance of the 'variegata' tag in the scientific name. It seems that the 7 Spot Adonis can sport variants with between three and fifteen spots, which may merge or be discrete!

7 spot, Adonis ladybird
7 spot, Adonis ladybird
Hippodamia variegata
Hippodamia variegata

It is not widely distributed and is classified as 'localised' rather than 'common'. Like most ladybirds, it predates on aphids - but only on certain species of aphid. If it has to follow transient aphid populations this could well account for its localised habitats.

10 Spot Ladybird

Adalia 10-punctata

This can be a very variably marked species, though it seems that the top image is of one of the more common forms. It can range from this orange form all the way through to a brown version with orange spots.

Date

Sighting

08.06.2005

  • Found on a weeping willow.

12.06.2005

  • 13 spot variation found at base of a damp Hawthorn hedge.

28.05.2010

  • 10 spot found Siver Birch, Betula pendula.

And just to make life even more difficult, it does not always carry 10 spots. As the background colour varies, so some of the spots can merge with the background. And it can even live with 10+ spots as the lower image of a 13 spot variation shows. (The true 13 spot species, Hippodamia 13-punctata, is believed to be extinct in the UK.) This specimen had a pale skirt to the elytra and a whitish pronotum with black markings.

10 Spot ladybird
10 Spot ladybird
13 Spot ladybird
13 Spot ladybird

This species is much the same size as the 2 spot species ( 5mm ) with which it can sometimes be confused. But the defining feature appears to be that this species always has pale legs, whereas the 2 spot always has black legs.

The upper image caught the moment of lift-off, where the wing cases (elytra) open and the veins in the wings stretch the wings to their maximum area prior to flight.

11 Spot Ladybird

Coccinella undecimpunctata

This poor little critter seems to have a scorch mark on its wing case (maybe a spark from a chimney or a bonfire) which only serves to remind us that all living things can suffer accidents.

Date

23.10.2006

Sighting

  • Found in garden.

11 spot ladybird
11 spot ladybird

There are several ladybird species which are recognised to be 'variable' in the number of spots that they might have - and some can have 11 spots, but the size of this one, just over 5mm, it's oval shape and the distribution of spots appears consistent with the true Coccinella undecimpunctata.

It is a species that appears to favour coastal regions and in the UK is most commonly found in the SE England region.

14 Spot Ladybird

Propylea quattuordecimpunctata

There are some 43 different ladybird species to be found in the UK. At only 4mm in length, this common ladybird is only about half the size of the more familiar 7 spot ladybird.

Date

15.05.2004

Sighting

  • First of the season found on Blackthorn.

27.05.2005

  • One rescued from pond, one on Salix caprea.

28.05.2006

  • In long lush vegetation (grass, nettles, cow parsley) by roadside verge.

18.05.2007

  • On the fresh growth of young nettles.

It is quite shy and very active and quickly seeks cover should any dangerous camera get too close.

Its markings and colouring can be quite variable.

14 spot ladybird
14 spot ladybird
Propylea quattuordecimpunctata
Propylea quattuordecimpunctata

Since its diet is almost entirely of plant lice, it is found on many different plants, eg in my experience, blackthorn, salix, ribes and nettles.

or, thankfully, P. 14-punctata

25.08.2007

  • Two on Creeping thistle, Cirsium arvense.

15.08.2008

  • On Bramble.

14 spot, Cream spot ladybird

Calvia quattuordecimguttata

With 43 different ladybirds in the UK they can't all have different numbers of spots so this is 'another' 14 spotter. Same number of spots but different pattern and colouring.

Date

03.09.2012

Sighting

  • Found on Hawthorn hedge.

Cream spot ladybird
Cream spot ladybird

At 5mm (scaled against the 10mm plastic mesh) this one is slightly larger than the previous one.

18.06.2003

  • Found on blackcurrant bushes.

16 Spot Ladybird

Titthaspis sedecimpunctata

This is another tiny species, only 3mm long but, it taught me that one should never take anything for granted.

Date

20.05.2005

Sighting

  • Hay Meadow western hedge.

16 Spot Ladybird
16 Spot Ladybird

Having taken the picture, I was about to label it as 'just another 22 spot' (it is not too easy to count spots on a 3mm ladybird!) , when I noticed the continuous dark line down it's back - not a common ladybird feature. That made me take a closer look and then the merged spots became obvious. Plus the fact that it did not have 22 spots!

It favours damp regions and coastal areas.

03.06.2007

  • Found on garage wall.

16 Spot, Orange Ladybird

Halyzia sedecimguttata

Although this species is regarded as 'not common, very local', it appears to be extending its range and we may well be seeing more of it in future.

From an identification angle, the feature I found most intriguing was the apparently transparent flat 'skirt' all the way around the elytra (wing cases) and pronotum (upper shield covering the thorax).

Date

Sighting

25.03.2005

  • Found on a warm Spring day on a Viburnum tree, probably recently awakened from hibernation.

10.12.2005

  • 4 found on bracken in Carmen Wood, Benniworth.

Overall length was 6mm with head tucked in and 7.5mm with head extended. The scale shown alongside the upper image is confusingly calibrated in sixteenths of an inch. Millimetres were on the other side!

16 spot Orange ladybird
16 spot Orange ladybird
Halyzia sedecimguttata
Halyzia sedecimguttata

This particular specimen was found on a garden Viburnum tree, but the species is known to favour Sycamore and has been reported on Ash and Blackthorn, all of which are to be found locally.

Both the adult and the larvae feed on mildew.

22 Spot Ladybird

Pysllobora (Thea) 22punctata

Very small (3-4mm), and quite common throughout central and northern Europe.

Date

Sighting

19.09.2004

  • Found on Hedge Mustard on western side of Hay Meadow.

Their food source is - mildew! So they can be found on a wide range of vegetation - over-ripe fruits are favourite. This one was on Hedge Mustard which was indeed showing early signs of mildew attack.

22 Spot Ladybird
22 Spot Ladybird
Pysllobora (Thea) 22punctata
Pysllobora (Thea) 22punctata

On something so small it can be quite difficult counting its spots and a side view is best. Only the spots on the elytra (wing cases) are counted. And in a species so wide ranging the colour and pattern is surprisingly consistent - although the small spot on the extreme outside edge of the elytra can sometimes be rather indistict.

14.08.2006

  • Found on long, coarse grass under a lichen covered wooden gate.

03.09.2007

  • Found on long, coarse grass on western side of Hay Meadow.

Harlequin ladybird

Harmonia axyridis

Date

19.07.2007

Sighting

  • Several pupae seen on riverside willow trees in Horncastle.

Harlequin ladybird
Harlequin ladybird

An increasingly common form has black wing cases with two red spots, each with a small white dot in the centre and is currently known as the 'Bullseye' form. The Harlequin is known to be interbreeding with native species so all sorts of hybrids may emerge to confuse things even more.

At 8mm in length, it is of comparable size to the 7-spot and Orange ladybirds. So any ladybird of that size which is not a 7-spot or an Orange ladybird could well be a Harlequin.

Harmonia axyridis
Harmonia axyridis

And the pupae, too, are quite unique. Although they tend to darken as they mature, they always retain the fringe of black and white bristles. And they are not difficult to find, being attached quite prominently on the upper surface of leaves with no attempt at camouflage.

Harlequin ladybird pupa
Harlequin ladybird pupa
Harlequin ladybird larva
Harlequin ladybird larva

One of the Harlequin's less endearing features was demonstrated to me rather dramatically. I had two pupae on the same Willow leaf under observation. The first to emerge (the 19-spot example in the second image) promptly ate the second as it hatched! So, if they have cannabalistic tendencies towards their own species, there can be little doubt that they will not be averse to predating on native species as well - and there are fears that it may have a severe impact upon them.

Recognition of the larvae tends to be rather more straightforward. All the ones that I have seen appear to be consistent in shape and colouring. They can grow up to 9mm in length and are very distictively marked - no problem identifying these.

27.07.2007

  • Adult newly hatched from pupa.

04.09.2007

  • Several larvae found at same location.

  • First adult found at Low Hameringham.

07.11.2007

14.11.2007

  • Second adult found at Low Hameringham.

  • Adult found on garden Betula pendula (Weeping Birch).

01.04.2009

16.11.2007

  • Several pupae still on pruned back willows in Horncastle.

The Harlequin ladybird is of Asian origin, a recent immigrant - and capable of prodigious reproduction. It was originally confined to the south of the UK but is spreading relentlessly northwards. It appeared in my area of East Lincolnshire in July 2007.

Unfortunately, from an identification view point, the adult Harlequin, can have a variable number of spots. The most consistent feature to look out for is the distinctive black and white pronotum just in front of the wing cases. When seen lifesize it appears like a small dark 'M' against the white background.