7 spot ladybird active today

the naturelover · #1 (**permalink**) 12-02-2011, 08:08 PM

I doubt if its a world record but i was so happy to see this beauty scurrying arround today whilst i was taking pickies of lichens. It was a bright fairly warm day but isn't this unusually early?

regards tn.

aeshna5 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-02-2011, 08:13 PM

I did find a couple last month. They overwinter as adults + if the ambient temperature is warm enough they will become active + it has been pretty mild on recent days.

Paul mabbott · #3 (**permalink**) 13-02-2011, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeshna5

I did find a couple last month. They overwinter as adults + if the ambient temperature is warm enough they will become active + it has been pretty mild on recent days.

To clarify, it's not entirely a matter of ambienttemperature. Ladybirds (and other insects) can be warmed up by received radiant energy; so on really cold, freezing days, you may see activity as long as the sun is shining brightly.

This is most relevent to those ladybirds shuch as Exochomus quadripustulatus and Halyzia sedecimguttata which commonly overwinter in cracks on bark. They are sheltered from sunlight in autumn and early winter but as the sun shifts across the sky they become insolated in spring/late winter and thus roused from their slumber!

Paul mabbott · #4 (**permalink**) 13-02-2011, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the naturelover

regards tn.

Great picture - reminds you of the primaeval forest. When plants first colonised land, to be followed later by the first animals, a "forest" would have been on this scale!