Ladybird Species

Ladybird Species

Seven-spotted Ladybird – Coccinella septempunctata

The Seven-spotted Ladybird is the most common ladybird in Europe. Its elytra are red in colour, but punctuated with three black spots each, with one further spot being spread over the junction of the two, making a total of seven spots, from which it derives both its common and scientific names. Both the adults and the larvae are voracious predators of aphids, and because of this, it has been repeatedly introduced to North America as a biological control agent to reduce aphid numbers.

Two-spotted Ladybird – Adalia bipunctata

The Two-spotted Ladybird is is a carnivorous beetle of the family Coccinellidae and is very common in western Europe. It is used as a biological control agent against aphids, e.g. in greenhouses. The most familiar form of the two-spot ladybird beetle is the red one with the two black spots. Two-spotted Ladybirds are cannibalistic.

Thirteen-spotted Ladybird – Hippodamia tredecimpunctata

The Thirteen-spotted Ladybird is a type of lady beetle. Adult lady beetles have domed backs, mainly oval, often shiny with short legs and antennae. Thirteen-spotted ladybirds have two wing covers. They are usually red to orange in colour. This species has thirteen dark or black spots. The larvae are slightly flattened and covered with miniature spines. Very small eggs are laid in groups of 10 – 50 on undersides of leaves.

Asian Ladybird – Harmonia axyridis

Often known as the multicoloured Asian lady beetle, and harlequin lady beetle, because of the species tendency to vary in colour from orange to yellow to even black, or halloween lady beetle because it invades homes in October in preparation for hibernation, is now a common insect in North America. The Asian ladybird has begun penetrating the UK; first seen in 2004. It has now had confirmed sightings from the South East to the Midlands.