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Harlequin ladybird
The inaugural meeting of the Ivydale Primary School Natural History Club had its first show-and-tell session on Wednesday. The first ladybird of the year had made an appearance.
20 messages
Gardeners' World Web User
07/02/2008 at 19:50
If you live near Wimbourne, Dorset, its worth going to Kingston Lacy (NT) to see carpets of snowdrops, by the paths and in the woods. It`s marvellous. Hellebores are out but not many of them.
Gardeners' World Web User
11/02/2008 at 09:55
In early autumn 2007 I saw thousands of these ladybirds, mostly on the paths, in Northdown House Gardens, Cliftonville, Kent. There were so many you couldn't avoid treading on them. I thought at the time it was a worrying sight after the bad press they had had and so I shall be interested to find out if they are goodies or badies.
Gardeners' World Web User
11/02/2008 at 19:10
The harlequin has established in the UK very rapidly over the past 3 years and it's obviously here for the forseeable future. In Asia (its homeland), it has a preference for tree dwelling aphids, so perhaps we'll be thankful that those messy woolly beech tree aphids and sycamore aphids might now be kept under control!
Gardeners' World Web User
22/02/2008 at 13:49
i love ladybirds
Gardeners' World Web User
25/02/2008 at 00:20
Found a harlequin ladybird today in my garden in south Essex - I think it is spectabilis. Now I have read the article, I don't know whether to kill it or release it back into the wild!
Gardeners' World Web User
20/04/2008 at 09:53
I jointly coordinate the UK Harlequin Ladybird Survey with Peter Brown (NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology), Mike Majerus (Cambridge University) and Remy Ware (Cambridge University). We would be very pleased to hear of any harlequin ladybird sightings, particularly in the North of England and Scotland. Please visit our website:

www.harlequin-survey.org

We have received over 20000 records through this survey website largely thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of the public.

Gardeners' World Web User
02/07/2009 at 18:53
Can somebody please tell me what the lavra look like from the Harlequin ladybird. I have some Evening Primroses which have had the top of their growth distorted and are covered in aphids. These in turn are being eaten by what I thought was ordinary ladybird lavra until somebody said that they shouldn't have the orange stripe across their backs. They have started to pupae and are orange 'blobs' on the middle of the leaves. I literally have too many to count, though the children from the local school have tried every time they walk home. Is there anybody who can help, the only pictures I can find of ladybird lavra is that of a black one with the occasional orange speck. Thank you to whoever answers
Gardeners' World Web User
03/07/2009 at 12:23
ladybirds are sooooooooooooooo intresting i do projects and powerpoints on them i love them
Gardeners' World Web User
24/07/2009 at 07:14
what do harlequin ladybirds look like ? I have seen an orange ladybird with a different arrangement of spots (2 parallel lines) than normal and didn`t know what it was so I left it alone
Gardeners' World Web User
29/07/2009 at 08:08
Reply to Froginhood. Have a look at this website for pictures: http://www.harlequin-survey.org/recognition_and_distinction.htm
Gardeners' World Web User
04/02/2010 at 13:46
I have had literally thousands in my window frames they get into the house are noisy they seem to have a habit of falling onto hard services I,ve hooverd them out and wash down the windows but still they come their a bloody pest!
Gardeners' World Web User
19/04/2010 at 10:06
I have just found one of these big black with two red spots ladybirds in the bedroom. presumably it has overwintered under the bed and is now looking for escape. Now that I know it's not that 'dangerous' I have let it out, and no, it didn't bite the hand that rescued it! There are lots of our 'normal' ladybirds clustered on posts in the garden, so I guess they outnumber it by quite a few and all help to defeat the aphids is welcome in our garden.
Gardeners' World Web User
27/05/2010 at 15:45
i love ladbrds. by th way i am 5. evyoe finks i am cte. my nme is lou lou.
Gardeners' World Web User
27/05/2010 at 15:48
i have found 10 2 spotted ladybirds and i have taken home one and i put it in a little box and at the moment she is sleeping. By the way her name is Honey
Gardeners' World Web User
08/08/2010 at 10:37
I found a Harlequin ladybird in a friends garden and also a lot of ladybird larva. I was not aware at the time that it was a Harlequin until checking on your site. I would like to know whether I should destroy these ladybirds?
Gardeners' World Web User
08/10/2010 at 14:27
Hi, For the first noticable time, the south face of my house is alive with Harlequin and Kidney Spot ladybirds. It is of course very sunny today. Really havn't noticed the Kidney ones before. Redhill in Surrey.
Gardeners' World Web User
08/10/2010 at 20:28
We have about 200 of the things sitting in the gap of our south facing window, have scooped out the ones that got into the house, and due to hoover the other ones tomorrow morning - there was a swarm of them flying around this morning and guess they think my bathroom window is a good place to settle...
Gardeners' World Web User
08/10/2010 at 20:28
PS I am in Basingstoke, Hampshire
Gardeners' World Web User
03/09/2011 at 19:08
I don't know if it of any interest to anyone but have found a harlequin ladybird today. I live in Cannock in Staffordshire.
Gardeners' World Web User
28/11/2011 at 18:30
As you say, Richard, we have yet to see what effect the Harlequin has on our native species, but I always worry about our (i.e. humans') eagerness to introduce new species to combat other pests. I realise that the Harlequin was probably an accidentally-introduced creature which probably couldn't really be helped, but you mention many other creatures and instances of our messing around with nature and I wonder if we will ever learn!:-/
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