11-spot Ladybird ?

[wint]

I'm hoping that the photo (taken today on the edge of Southampton) is of an 11-spot Ladybird. It was roughly about 1/2 the size of a 7-spot. The only info I have on season is to look in April-June and August-September so it seems quite a late date.

A new species for me if it is one.

Thanks

[asheleaf]

certainly looks like it to me

Ashe

[wint]

Thanks Ashe

Paul

[Paul mabbott]

I'll blow it up for a closer look but seems okay. What sort of soil was it on? 11-spots are most common on coastal dunes, river silt beds and the like but I've found it on alkaline soil in the Midlands so it is probably a combination of ambient temperature and soil type that encourages them. In preferred circumstances they can be quite numerous, often in conjunction with 7-spots. Period of appearance is variable and this is a late year for most aphidophagous ladybirds.

[wint]

Hi Paul

The ladybird was on a fence at the southern end of Lower Test Marshes - a tidal reserve where Southampton water meets the river Test. Not far south is Goatee Shore at Eling which is mentioned as having suitable habitat in the SNHS publication Ladybirds of Southampton (free to download at SNHS - Publications)

This (poor) pic seems to show the yellow rings around the spots.



Thanks

Paul

[Paul mabbott]

Yes, a great habitat. I still haven't had a close-up look (just going to dinner) but the yellow rings (ocellation) are not at all uncommon on eleven-spots although I don't recall any study on that!

[wint]

I found one image that is probably better than the two I posted previously - this is an unresized central crop.



Cheers, Paul

[Paul mabbott]

Fine - I see it all (I didn't need to do anything more technical than fiddle about with the brightness/contrast on my screen!). Yes an ocellated Coccinella undecimpunctata.

[wint]

Thanks Paul

I'll send the record to the Soton Natural History Society.

Paul