Harlequin Ladybirds

[mrs fish]

Am I right that this is a harlequin, I just caught it coming in the back door and at first from a distance thought it was a vine weevil due to its size, it produced some yellow stuff which had a smell.

[Paul mabbott]

Yes. The exudate is 'reflex bleeding' - they release haemolymph which smells bad and tastes worse. Most ladybirds do this but haxy seems most prolific. One of the reason people object to having lots of them in the house - they stain materials and make a stink!

Originally Posted by mrs fish

Am I right that this is a harlequin, I just caught it coming in the back door and at first from a distance thought it was a vine weevil due to its size, it produced some yellow stuff which had a smell.

[mrs fish]

Thanks, I have destroyed it.
This is the first one I have seen but I don't expect it will be the last.
Do you think it is rather late to be finding somewhere to hibernate?
It is very windy to-day and quite chilly.

[Paul mabbott]

I'm sure you're right.
It's late for a normal year but this has been quite mild until this last week. Many ladybirds, but especially haxy, will keep moving until it gets cold. This species survives in Siberia so is quite hardy!
I hope you've reported it by the way ..... it's (was) the form spectabilis

Originally Posted by mrs fish

..... This is the first one I have seen but I don't expect it will be the last. Do you think it is rather late to be finding somewhere to hibernate?
It is very windy to-day and quite chilly.

[mrs fish]

Who do I report it to?

[Imaginos]

Originally Posted by mrs fish

Who do I report it to?

Harlequin Ladybird Survey - home
Look for the recording sightings section.

[speckled wood]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Yes. The exudate is 'reflex bleeding' - they release haemolymph which smells bad and tastes worse.

Not a suitable entry for a revised edition of "WHY NOT EAT INSECTS" then?

[mrs fish]

Have reported it and sent photo, thanks

[jimfoxy]

Reported and sent my photos from the other thread, too. Thanks, Paul.

[Paul mabbott]

"What makes this a Harlequin and not a 10-spot? The characteristic w is not there."
Answering jimfoxy from another thread!
No, that so-called 'characteristic' is not consistent - with darker specimens (melanic or just heavily pigmented succinea) the central parts of the forebody become darker *but* the whole side of the prothorax is *always* white. Other features are consistent: size (+/- 7-8 mms), brown legs and white triangle on the *head* (not always obvious!). The species also has a keel and depression at the back end of the elytra which I've not seen on any other species *but* it isn't always obvious, indeed, I'm beginning to think that it's confined to females - something to investigate over the winter!
As I've mentioned before, in many ladybird species (many beetles, in fact) the forebody commonly has more diagnostic features than the hindbody!