Ladybird
Ladybirds are brightly coloured beetles that range in size from 1 – 10mm long. The 2 spot and larger 7 spot ladybirds are the commonest species, although around 46 different species can be found in Britain alone.
Ladybirds are often brightly coloured or patterned, and this is to warn potential predators that they are distasteful. When these beetles are disturbed, handled or feel threatened they excrete a pungent, foul-tasting yellow liquid from their legs. This substance is called reflex blood and is toxic to some animals. It also stains clothes and hands, which is why you should always try to avoid handling ladybirds.
A ladybird’s habitat of choice is usually some form of vegetation, with some species preferring hedges and trees while others are found along waterways in reed beds and wetlands. In winter when they hibernate, ladybirds can often be found nestling in tree bark or dense foliage, sometimes huddled together in large groups to conserve heat.
Ladybirds are particularly handy insects to keep in your garden, as they feed on aphids, greenfly and other pests that normally ravage garden plants and flowers. Because of the huge benefit they provide to plant life, it is of particular concern that Britain’s ladybird population may be at risk from the invasive Harlequin Ladybird.
This invasive species was first introduced to North America from Asia in the 1980s as a biological control for aphids. Unfortunately the bigger, more aggressive harlequin ladybird spread rapidly across the continent and was first sighted in Britain in 2004, where it is now competing for food with some of our weaker species.
Facts
Appearance: Often brightly coloured or patterned, although some are beige or dull brown in colour
Size: 1 to 10mm long
Weight: 35mg
Lifespan: After growing from a larvae into a beetle the ladybird can live for around a year.
Diet: Ladybirds will eat a wide range of things such as aphids, larvae, mildew, funghi, leaves, nectar and pollen.
Family: Coccinellidae
Did you know?
- The average 7 spot ladybird will eat more than 5000 aphids in its year-long life
- It is thought that a female ladybird can lay more than 2000 eggs in her lifetime
- The name ladybird dates back to the Middle Ages when people referred to them as the ‘Beetle of Our Lady’. They were named after the Virgin Mary because artists often painted her wearing a red cloak.
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