Another Harlequin forming spots

[The Black Rabbit]

This is NOT the Harlequin Ladybird pupa I posted on a few days ago.
But it IS another one I found on the back of one of our garden chairs this morning.
It had undergone eclosure very early in the morning (today).
4 photos follow, showing how the Harlequin Ladybird emerges a plain orange colour and slowly (over 5 hours in this case) develops its spots....
The times can be seen on each photo, in green.
Doug.

[naturelover]

hi thats fasinating never seen that befor,how marvaless that the spots appear slowly i imagined they were hatched, born, with spots,just prooves how wrong you can be.

[Cazzie]

Great piccies Doug I reckon you're lucky to have ladybirds and harlequins too as they're still lacking in my area atm.

[The Black Rabbit]

Thanks naturelover and Cazzie.
Finally, after between 7 and 9 hours resting by its pupal case, this adult Ladybird larva finally decided it looked spotty enough, and felt hard enough to make a break for it!
This is how it looked then...
Doug.

[tristanba]

Originally Posted by Cazzie

Great piccies Doug I reckon you're lucky to have ladybirds and harlequins too as they're still lacking in my area atm.

I'm sure you won't have long to wait Cazzie. I certainly feel lucky to have them, especially when hundreds attempt to hibernate inside my house at the end of the autumn. Not to mention the considerable ecological damage they are likely to do

[Paul mabbott]

Yes, nice series of pics from BR which suggest earlier maturation than for native species - all useful data which should be recorded and reported!

Take issue with one point tristanba, before "... considerable damage they are likely to do.", you really ought to say possible!
Nothing has been proven and while most of us suspect that Harmonia axyridis will cause problems for native species (not just ladybirds, incidentally), this has certainly not been demonstrated.

There are signs now of autumn activity so it is important that everyone continues to report sightings .....

Cheers, Paul

Originally Posted by tristanba

I'm sure you won't have long to wait Cazzie. I certainly feel lucky to have them, especially when hundreds attempt to hibernate inside my house at the end of the autumn. Not to mention the considerable ecological damage they are likely to do

[tristanba]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Take issue with one point tristanba, before "... considerable damage they are likely to do.", you really ought to say possible!
Nothing has been proven and while most of us suspect that Harmonia axyridis will cause problems for native species (not just ladybirds, incidentally), this has certainly not been demonstrated.

I would say it's probable rather than just possible, given what is known about their biology. However, demonstrating any direct impact on UK fauna will certainly be very difficult. Cheers Tristan

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

Thanks naturelover and Cazzie.
Finally, after between 7 and 9 hours resting by its pupal case, this adult Ladybird larva finally decided it looked spotty enough, and felt hard enough to make a break for it!
This is how it looked then...
Doug.

yessssss.
Typed that without thinking I'm afraid.
(The adult Ladybird larva bit).
You know what I meant though, eh? The ADULT Ladybird!

And regarding the re-debating of whether or not Harlequin Ladybirds are a pest....
This post was never meant to be another forum for that discussion. There are other older posts dealing with that. The truth is we don't know at the moment.
I just wanted to show a few photos of the Ladybird forming its spots after eclosure!
Doug.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Yes, nice series of pics from BR which suggest earlier maturation than for native species - all useful data which should be recorded and reported!

Take issue with one point tristanba, before "... considerable damage they are likely to do.", you really ought to say possible!
Nothing has been proven and while most of us suspect that Harmonia axyridis will cause problems for native species (not just ladybirds, incidentally), this has certainly not been demonstrated.

There are signs now of autumn activity so it is important that everyone continues to report sightings .....

Cheers, Paul

From what Ive seen of the Harmonia axyridis this year ive noted two things - there are as many of the small ones as the big ones.
- and that there only really found in the habitats that you find seven spots, which I can still find quite often. Although the Harmonia axyridis are more common. I guess the next few years will tell....