The ubiquious Harlequin?

[jezlee]

Hello all - went for a walk by Chew Valley lakes, just south of Bristol, on Monday and snapped all these - are they ALL Harlequins? And incidentally, is there a site somewhere showing all the known variations of the Harlequin?

[Dogghound]

All harlequins

All the adults are f.succinea.

The newly emerged one looks like its going to be f.spectabilis although they can be hard to predict at this age.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...:1&um=1&itbs=1

We only get 3 forms in the UK f.succinea, f.conspicua, f.spectabilis, another is rarely recorded here f.axyridis.

[Gerel]

Not entirely ubiquitious, I've yet to see one in the flesh

[jezlee]

Originally Posted by Gerel

Not entirely ubiquitious, I've yet to see one in the flesh

Really? It probably won't be long! On my walk the other day near Bristol, they were pretty much the ONLY ladybird I saw ... having said that, I live in Wolverhampton and I don't think I've seen one in my suburban garden yet. I went out for a wander round the garden at lunchtime and counted twelve 7-spots a 2-spot and a 14-spot, but no harlequins!

[Deb London]

Harlequins and 7-spots co-exist in my garden. One year I saw nothing much but Harlequins. I have no idea how long this arrangement will last. I'm just pleased that the native beetle is more than simply hanging on, at present.

[Gerel]

I dare say they will get here in time, but so far 2's, 10's, orange, larch etc. but no harlequins.

[SpikyPhasmid]

I found this and thought it was a melanic harlequin:



Was I right?

[Dogghound]

Are you quite rural Gerel? Harlequins tend to be very urban or suburban (including parks) I have found very few away from built up areas. They are very fond of sycamore which is to be expected due to the large amounts of aphids it attracts. Any lowland urban area particularly in the south with sycamore is likely to have these.

Im not to sure if they are having the effect on our native species that was first feared. Im sure i read somewhere there is even evidence of local declines in some areas.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by SpikyPhasmid

I found this and thought it was a melanic harlequin:



Was I right?

This is the decempustulatus form of the 10 spot ladybird Adalia decempunctata. Possibly the most variable species in Britain.

[SpikyPhasmid]

Ooh, thanks. I really need an insect book so I'm beter at figuring these things out.