Yes, I think you’re right. And it’s very beautiful. Thank you for taking such a lovely photo.
They’ve done a great job on the aphids that were infesting my daisies.
Very good photo, I’m not entirely sure but I think it’s probably the Sixteen Spot ladybird.
AIUI 1 – all ladybirds are ‘native’ – But not necessarily ‘native to England’ (other fine locations are available).
AIUI 2 – This applies to all species? Misunderstanding of this fact gives much occupation to a variety of activist & pressure groups that want to “ban”, “exterminate” – or “preserve” or “bring back” the xxxxx.
(Personally, I could tolerate the absence of pheasants, rhododendrons and carrots from these Islands, and accept we are probably ‘stuck with’ chickens, potatoes, rabbits & wheat? Forests of introduced pines might be OK – providing they held plenty of wolves.)
It looks like a 7-spot.
[ 3 on each side, and one on the central-line dividing the elytra ]
There is a wonderful book on Ladybirds in the unparalled “New Naturalist” series by Micheal Majerus, who died tragically of cancer last year (or so) and he did note the arrival of Harmonia axyridis …
However, recently, I’ve been noticing that the presence of the latter does not SEEM to have diminished the numbers of the others.
This year I’ve seen 2, 7, 10, 16 and 22-spot and one pair of “pine” ladybirds, and that’s without looking specifically for them!
Yes, it’s a seven spot. It is native to the UK, unlike the harlequin variety. I have no desire to exterminate the Harlequin ladybird and refuse to kill any I see.
I thought 7 Spots were red ?
@Mjolinir:
Aren’t carrots native ? I thought there was a wild variety, all my natural history books are packed away at the moment so I can’t check.
On the native v non-native question, I’ve always wondered how the anti-native types view ‘natural’ expansions of range that bring previously exotic species to our shores, a good example being the Collared Dove. No one seems to know why this happened and very quickly too, nature isn’t very interested in our obsession with geographical apartheid.
The native varieties are more of an orange than deep red.
Fabulous close up! Do you use a special lens?
I’m using a 55mm macro lens.
Yes, I think you’re right. And it’s very beautiful. Thank you for taking such a lovely photo.
They’ve done a great job on the aphids that were infesting my daisies.
Very good photo, I’m not entirely sure but I think it’s probably the Sixteen Spot ladybird.
AIUI 1 – all ladybirds are ‘native’ – But not necessarily ‘native to England’ (other fine locations are available).
AIUI 2 – This applies to all species? Misunderstanding of this fact gives much occupation to a variety of activist & pressure groups that want to “ban”, “exterminate” – or “preserve” or “bring back” the xxxxx.
(Personally, I could tolerate the absence of pheasants, rhododendrons and carrots from these Islands, and accept we are probably ‘stuck with’ chickens, potatoes, rabbits & wheat? Forests of introduced pines might be OK – providing they held plenty of wolves.)
It looks like a 7-spot.
[ 3 on each side, and one on the central-line dividing the elytra ]
There is a wonderful book on Ladybirds in the unparalled “New Naturalist” series by Micheal Majerus, who died tragically of cancer last year (or so) and he did note the arrival of Harmonia axyridis …
However, recently, I’ve been noticing that the presence of the latter does not SEEM to have diminished the numbers of the others.
This year I’ve seen 2, 7, 10, 16 and 22-spot and one pair of “pine” ladybirds, and that’s without looking specifically for them!
Yes, it’s a seven spot. It is native to the UK, unlike the harlequin variety. I have no desire to exterminate the Harlequin ladybird and refuse to kill any I see.
I thought 7 Spots were red ?
@Mjolinir:
Aren’t carrots native ? I thought there was a wild variety, all my natural history books are packed away at the moment so I can’t check.
On the native v non-native question, I’ve always wondered how the anti-native types view ‘natural’ expansions of range that bring previously exotic species to our shores, a good example being the Collared Dove. No one seems to know why this happened and very quickly too, nature isn’t very interested in our obsession with geographical apartheid.
The native varieties are more of an orange than deep red.