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  1. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Agreed. There is Calvia decemguttata elsewhere in Europe, which, as its name suggests, has ten pale patches. However, it's quite rare.
  2. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    UK ladybird distribution Someone was asking about distribution of ladybirds in UK. A distributional atlas of the British Coccinellidae should be published this year (if we're luck) - watch this space!
  3. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    I must have missed this one when it first appeared. Yes, looks to be Calvia quattuordecimguttata, creram-spotted ladybird but very unusual to see with those rings around it. Perhaps not coincidentally, last year there were two or three reports of very darkly pigmented individuals - i.e. the...
  4. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    They're quite common nowadays: especially at light traps. they are one of the few ladybirds regularly flying at night.
  5. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Indeed there do seem to be few about this year - they would normally become active not much later than 7-spots and certainly before 22-spots. It's quite possible that their population numbers have decline considerably from competition with both the harlequin (Harmonia axyridis) and the 7-spot...
  6. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Heat is not the only reason for aggregation - it has been suggested that one great advantage is that, when becoming active in the spring, they don't have much difficulty in finding a mate. It's perhaps of note that the most abundant species are those which do aggregate overwinter. Many insect...
  7. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    These are all 7-spots (Coccinella septempunctata) and, before the arrival of the 'harlequin', they were the species most commonly seen in overwintering aggregations although 2-spots and 11-spots are also commonly seen. This is basically a way of keeping warm(ish). Most ladybirds can tolerate low...
  8. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Yes indeed, all seven-spots. But it's better than nothing! Especially in Aberdeen .... most ladybirds become pretty scarce once you leave England!
  9. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    For interest, how long did the congregation last? This happens some years: ladybirds (usually 7-spots) reproduce well and eat up all the aphids; then they fly around looking for more food, randomly becoming large crowds which, because they can go no further, accumulate at the coast. I've never...
  10. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Do you have a photograph? As Aeshna noted, the 5-spot ladybird is very localised in UK being confined to shingle banks of rivers in western Britain, particularly Wales. In my experience most ladybirds identified as 5-spots are either (a) 7-spots viewed from an angle where only 5 spots are seen...
  11. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Good to hear - they haven't been too common in the northern part of the county .... yet! Can I make a plea for anyone who has observations of ladybirds from Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, London or Essex to let me have a note (e-mail) - species, location, number and any other info...
  12. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    The 'harlequin' ladybird is Harmonia axyridis - they are quite abundant this year. Adalia bipunctata is the 2-spot ladybird although it comes in several diferent forms: the black with four red spots form (melanic, quadripustulata) tends to be more common early in the year. The seasons are late...
  13. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    That begs the question, "Which ladybird?"! Things have changed over recent years and the multivariate Asian ladybird is now found in pest proportions over most of the temperate world. However, until this beetle, Harmonia axyridis, was introduced to the Americas and Europe, the most abundant in...
  14. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Yes, as Kathy confirms, [I]Anatis ocellata the eyed ldybird. Some other ladybirds have these ocellations (the yellow rings around the spots) but less commonly and they are never as large as the Eyed. The pattern on the forebody is distinctive for the species. It's unusual to see any ladybirds...
  15. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Happy New Year one and all. Gilles San Martin has opened a Flickr gallery of ladybirds of NW Europe: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanmartin/collections/72157603571001091/ Well worth looking at and saving for reference.
  16. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Can't say with absolute certainty because the elytral patterns have not formed yet but from the forebody this looks like Harmonia axyridis, the 'harlequin' ladybird.
  17. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    The yellow one was probably the 22-spot ladybird, Psyllobora vigintiquattuorpunctata - a mildew feeder. Black with red is trickier - of the native species the pine (Exochomus quadripustulatus), kidney-spot (Chilocorus renipustulatus) are common (they have no white marks at all) as are melanic...
  18. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Yes, a good variety there! It's quite a good time of year for seeing some ladybirds which descend with the leaves ... a few years back I would have recommended it as the best time to find orange ladybirds (Halyzia sedecimguttata) which are also late breeders and commonly fall to ground on ash...
  19. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    'Harlequin ladybird' This is all rather British and parochial so an update on the European spread of Harmonia axyridis - it has now been found in Oslo, Norway - not surprised at the northward spread since it is found in Siberia. Equally interesting is that it seems to be penetrating deeper into...
  20. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Well worth reporting to the national survey because records are few and far between - can be easily done online at : http://www.ladybird-survey.org/ They'll accept a picture or you can quote me ;) Indeed, to everyone in UK - all records, even of the more "common" species, are welcomed at the...
  21. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    The Adonis' is one of the few larger British ladybirds considered notable (the 5-spot is very localised and the 13-spot is only seen every ten-20 years) - and was classed a 'notable B' species. Is primarily a southern and eastern species which is not seen often but when it is seen may be in...
  22. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Yes, brilliant sequence of birth, growth and cannibalism! Like your other pictures too but I'm surprised that, with the asparagus and lily beetles amonst other 'pests', that you manage to grow anything in your garden! Cheers, Paul
  23. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    I'm very surprised at that although it is very much a 'one man show' so if Peter is ill, on holiday or otherwise occupied then there may be some delay. I'm sure he will very much appreciate your observation.
  24. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    Yes, indeed - one with somewhat reduced spot number. Your photo's good in that it shows the distinctive keel towards the back of the elytra.
  25. paul mabbott

    The Ladybird thread

    'Harlequin' in Norway Today had a report that the 'harlequin' ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, has been found in Norway (Oslo) - furthest north yet in Europe. Reports from Holland suggest that it is aggregating in considerable numbers there ....
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