Harlequine ladybirds taking over?

[cottagegardener]

I have had ladybirds hibernating in my upstairs window frames for years, there are often hundreds of them but this years crop seem to be different. I suspect some of them at least are Harlequins. Is it likely that Harlequins have come to the exact same spots that the native ones use/used?They only occupy particular windows.
Is it possible to have a mixture of native and harlequins living together(some of them have only two spots like my previous visitors)? And what action if any should I take? Is is out with the Flit spray and the Dyson, or is it a natural selection situation?
I hope it's ok to link to my blog as I have photos and description there.
Many thanks for any guidance on this.

[Jason Green]

Hi CG, and welcome to WAB!

Your Harlequin's will have gone to various I think South-facing areas of shelter to hibernate through the winter. Of course, they will have subsequently been joined by our natie species such as Two-spot, Seven-spot and Ten-spot Ladybird. It is highly likely they will do so together, and often it is difficult to differenciate between them unless you are experienced, as some species have different forms. Particularly so with a Harlequin and a Ten, or even Two-spot Ladybird - they are often the cause of debate unless a photo shows leg colour too!

Natural selection will dictate who survives, killing off Harlequins will not really affect local disributions. If you really need them moved, transfer them to a shed or other area of shelter, but be careful - they bleed slightly to deter predators, and in doing so it may stain curtains, upholstery, etc.

Looking at your pictures, it appears your first shot shows only Harlequins, though I can see a a good few Two-spots in your second - they certainly show a good size difference! Apparently the Two-spots didn't have such a good year, so it's good to see such good numbers together. Hopefully they'll survive this cold period. The third shows Harlequins and Two-spots, too.

Let us know if there is nything else you'd like to know, and in the mean time I'll have a look at the rest of your blog!

Take care,

Jason

[Paul mabbott]

As Jason says, te first batch are mainly Harmonia axyridis, the second Adalia bipunctata and I wouldn't like to estimate the third! Not really surprising that different species seek the same sheltering places: they are seeking warmth, shade and getting out of the draught. If they're not being a nuisance then you can leave them but otherwise throw them outside. If Flit is an insecticide I would certainly not use it: you'll kill off the native species ladybirds as well as other beneficial invertebrates (spiders &c)..

[cottagegardener]

Thanks Paul and Jason, The windows are indeed the south facing ones, so I suppose the Harlequins have just gone to where the others have always hibernated. I will leave them alone, as they do no harm and I have always felt that my garden benefits greatly from their numbers. I checked some of my old photos from some years ago and they all seem to be two spots, so I hope that at least some of them will survive. I'm afraid my blog is often about food and cooking, but I do have some items about wildlife, my attempt at a wildflower meadow, and my encounter with snakes in the veg garden spring to mind.
Many thanks
ps I didn't really have any intention of using Flit on them by the way, I garden organically - Flit was an insecticide popular many years ago, my grandfather used to spray it around the house with abandon with a special metal gun to kill flies. I'm sure it's no longer available, thankfully, it was probably ddt or worse, it's a wonder he didn't kill us all stone dead.

[Paul mabbott]

Glad to hear it! I suspect that many of us are still suffering from the reckless abandon with which biocides used to be used (and still are in some parts of the world )
Let us know if you find anything else interesting!

Originally Posted by cottagegardener

.........ps I didn't really have any intention of using Flit on them by the way, I garden organically - Flit was an insecticide popular many years ago, my grandfather used to spray it around the house with abandon with a special metal gun to kill flies. I'm sure it's no longer available, thankfully, it was probably ddt or worse, it's a wonder he didn't kill us all stone dead.