Bumper year for ladybirds?

vole-woman · #1 (**permalink**) 24-07-2011, 11:43 AM

I've just come back from battling through a nettly/thistly field and I have to say I've never seen so many ladybirds in my life (not since 1976, anyway). Is it just a freakishly good field, or are numbers of native ladybirds well up?

I should add, I found (and reported) a harlequin near here a few months ago, but I didn't see any of them today.

Wild-Woman · #2 (**permalink**) 24-07-2011, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vole-woman

I've just come back from battling through a nettly/thistly field and I have to say I've never seen so many ladybirds in my life (not since 1976, anyway). Is it just a freakishly good field, or are numbers of native ladybirds well up?

I should add, I found (and reported) a harlequin near here a few months ago, but I didn't see any of them today.

Good news! What species were the majority?

vole-woman · #3 (**permalink**) 24-07-2011, 01:06 PM

Not sure, but I have a couple of photos:

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 24-07-2011, 01:25 PM

2 spots and 7 spots

htcdude · #5 (**permalink**) 24-07-2011, 01:28 PM

Lucky you to get some variety, all I see round here are Harlequin

Nige

Anzu · #6 (**permalink**) 24-07-2011, 03:47 PM

In my garden we have a lot of 7-spots, 14-spots and 22-spots. There are a few harlequin ones too though.

aeshna5 · #7 (**permalink**) 24-07-2011, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htcdude

Lucky you to get some variety, all I see round here are Harlequin

Nige

I'm surprised you only see Harlequins as I've seen huge numbers of 7-spots locally, though not so many currently.

Also if you get a sweep net + beating tray you'll be surprised how many more species of ladybird you'll find, especially some of the smaller species which can be very numerous when you use these methods, such as 16-, 22- + 24-spots.

vole-woman · #8 (**permalink**) 24-07-2011, 05:32 PM

Thanks. So are there more ladybirds about this year? And what effect is the harlequin having on our natives?

aeshna5 · #9 (**permalink**) 24-07-2011, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Thanks. So are there more ladybirds about this year? And what effect is the harlequin having on our natives?

I don't think there's an easy answer to this as there are so many environmental variables that may effect other species. London has had some very large Harlequin numbers in recent years (though I get the feeling slightly fewer more recently), but the last 3 years seem to have been bumper years for 7-spots locally, so don't appear to have had any effect on them.