Harlequin Ladybirds

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by James M

Found this individual in the house yesterday, is it the dreaded Harlequin?



Soon after I took this, it bit me , lol silly me for handling it for too long.

Hi James,

Indeed it is. Can you see the drop of yellow liquid (...it's blood) on the false eye on the pronotum? It tried giving a hint by the look of it! They do that as a deterrent to predators when they feel threatened. It's perfectly normal for ladybirds to bite upon occasion - though I believe the Harlie is naturally more aggressive and may do so more readily - but what is embarrassing is confessing to being bitten by a Bush-cricket NYMPH!

[Paul mabbott]

Well observed. It's haemolymph which is the insect equivalent of vertebrate blood but very different. The release of haemolymph has two effects - it smells horrible so that mammalian predators (shrews and hedgehogs, for instance) are not tempted to predate them but mainly, since it tastes horrible, birds will 'spit' them out and learn not to taste them gain!
PS: I have no sense of smell but can attest that they taste really horrible!

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Hi James,

Indeed it is. Can you see the drop of yellow liquid (...it's blood) on the false eye on the pronotum? It tried giving a hint by the look of it! They do that as a deterrent to predators when they feel threatened. It's perfectly normal for ladybirds to bite upon occasion - though I believe the Harlie is naturally more aggressive and may do so more readily - but what is embarrassing is confessing to being bitten by a Bush-cricket NYMPH!

[Jason Green]

Thanks! I'll, um, let you be the judge of that then

[James M]

Thanks guys!, yes it did have that familiar "ladybird" smell lol.

It's the first Harlequin I've seen in Saddleworth, but I suppose they will have to turn up sometime.

[Enogs]

While it now seems seeing a ladybird of any kind this year has been a bit of a high spot the Harmonia axyridis is the most common in our part of Somerset just south of Taunton. and my wife has photographed one on the coast at Axmouth Devon. I have not seen the large numbers mentioned in the media.

[Paul mabbott]

A reminder to everyone that has ever seen a ladybird that there is still time to contribute your records to the forthcoming national atlas. No matter how few or how common all ladybird observations will be welcome:

Ladybird Atlas of the British Isles

[Wig]

Saw my first 19 spot orange (or red - "reddy orange" if you will) and black spotted ladybird yesterday, in Bridgend South Wales, was in an office building, I released it out the window.

Looked on the internet for more information about them and discovered it was probably a harlequin. I don't see the point in killing them, especially as I am not qualified or have good enough eyesight to tell definately what species it is. If I find one again I might keep it in a box until being identified.

I note the Harlequin sighting reporting website, doesn't say to kill or not to kill, doesn't even say to wait before killing until they have responded/verified your sighting. What is their policy on killing them? I guess the ones which are sent to them have to be killed by law, (as they are a non native species), to release them would be illegal.

Should I report my sighting even though I have no photograph?

[Jason Claxton]

When it comes to submitting records Wig,you really have to be 100% certain of your I.D,you have put that it was probably a Harlequin,a record may be accepted without a photo for this,but you appear to have some doubt .

[Paul mabbott]

While not a native species, Harmonia axyridis is not listed as a pest species so there are no regulations about release. Killing them is a pretty futile gestures since there are so many thousands of them about but especially shouldn't be considered by anyone who is uncertain of the identification: far too many innocent insects are killed by ignorance.

PS: an observation will not be used without either a specimen, photograph or verification by a competent person.

Originally Posted by Wig

Saw my first 19 spot orange (or red - "reddy orange" if you will) and black spotted ladybird yesterday, in Bridgend South Wales, was in an office building, I released it out the window.

Looked on the internet for more information about them and discovered it was probably a harlequin. I don't see the point in killing them, especially as I am not qualified or have good enough eyesight to tell definately what species it is. If I find one again I might keep it in a box until being identified.

I note the Harlequin sighting reporting website, doesn't say to kill or not to kill, doesn't even say to wait before killing until they have responded/verified your sighting. What is their policy on killing them? I guess the ones which are sent to them have to be killed by law, (as they are a non native species), to release them would be illegal.

Should I report my sighting even though I have no photograph?

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

We've not had much correspondence on this topic recently (people getting bored?) but I have yet to see a living Harmonia axyridis this year. Haven't seen that many ladybirds at all .... mostly larvae at present so I suspect that their life cycle is just delayed after the cold winter.

Having spotted a native ladybird today whilst gardening, it made me wonder whether this very cold winter will have had an effect on the Harlequin ladybird population. I read on one of the threads on here that it was thought that the Harlequin ladybird might not be very good at surviving cold winters, why they did not appear in big numbers until autumn. I've got a squashed Harlequin in one of my window frames, but I think it has been there sometime. Not seen any others here since autumn.