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Odd Ladybird
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:46 pm
by Chris Pickford
A bit off topic really.....but are there any ladybird-ologists out there? I've just had a number of these very large (8mm), slightly odd looking ladybirds on my window ledge in S. Oxon. Are they harelquins? Some yellow, some tawny, some dark red. Sorry about the poor picture quality....
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:36 pm
by Padfield
There's a good page on recognising harlequins here:
http://www.harlequin-survey.org/recogni ... ction.htm#
Guy
PS - Yours does look quite good for harlequin to me, though I'm not even a beginner, let alone an expert.
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:23 pm
by Chris Pickford
Thanks Guy
I had a look - no doubt about it. On my way home I saw a lot more by the Thames at Culham. I hope they are not eating all our leps larvae....
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:33 pm
by eccles
They're spreading fast through the UK and my local park is infested with them. I saw 20 along an iron railing that was catching the sun on Thursday last. My instructions from the AWT is to positively identify them then squash them. Orange body + black spots + brown legs/antennae = harlequin. Other combinations need more care.
Among those 20 that I saw, there were just two UK individuals, a 2-spot plus an orange, the one with white spots.
Harlequins eat lepidoptera larvae and eggs, and native ladybirds.