Species: Heather Ladybird (Chilocorus bipustulatus)
Family: Ladybirds (COCCINELLIDAE)
Category: Insects (Other)
Location: One Sighting
A. Insects (Other)
More extensive information on insects can be found in a separate blog post.
B. Ladybirds (COCCINELLIDAE)
Ladybirds are popular aphid-eating beetles but are unpopular with predators because of their bitter taste. Avoid handling them as they secrete a foul-smelling liquid with a very persistent odour. They pass the Winter as dormant adults, and then are active from early Spring until late Autumn. There are 42 British species, whose patterns are variable. Eggs are mainly yellow or orange in colour, and laid in batches, taking 4-10 days to hatch depending on the temperature. In folklore many rhymes connected with divination for future partners mention ladybirds. If a single girl tosses a ladybird into the air, it will fly away in the direction a future lover lives. It is very unlucky to kill a ladybird, but lucky if one lands on you. If you kill any beetle, it will pour with rain.
C. Heather Ladybird (Chilocorus bipustulatus)
The Heather Ladybird is a relatively small ladybird, usually measuring between 3 and 5 millimetres in length. They are black/dark brown and show a line of perhaps three small red spots on each wing case. These spots are sometimes fused together.
They occur between March and October.
As with the majority of ladybirds, they feed on aphids and scale insects.
This species favours heather plants but will seek its food on a variety of others.
This species of ladybird has been introduced into many regions to provide biological control of scale insects.
Images
Heather Ladybird (Chilocorus bipustulatus)
The Heather Ladybird is a relatively small ladybird, usually measuring between 3 and 5 millimetres in length.
This species favours heather plants but will seek its food on a variety of others.
This species of ladybird has been introduced into many regions to provide biological control of scale insects.
