Ladybirds

[relfy]

I was getting all excited at the apparent number of species of ladybirds I was finding this year. (Photos below). And indeed the cute yellow one with white spots (which I've never seen before) is a common native species called the orange ladybird. However, having looked them up, I now find that the other two are different forms of the same species: The Harlequin Ladybird. Which is an alien invader which is sweeping very quickly across the UK.

Two useful websites which include species ID pdfs are:

Native ladybirds - http://www.ladybird-survey.org/

Harlequin ladybird - http://www.harlequin-survey.org/

Both allow you to record sightings.

I was wondering if anyone here has anything more to say about the harlequin and what we are supposed to do with them when we find them, apart from record sightings? i.e. if we are supposed to be stomping on them or leaving them to live happy ladybird lives? I have a feeling the latter is probably more sensible, as the few stomped on are hardly likely to have an impact on overall population by now.

 

[Bushwhacker]

I don't look upon them as invaders, nature has brought them this way without our intervention. It's natural progression.

I hear of more and more 'exotic' species of fish being caught in our waters too, things are just changing as they have done over the millenia.

 

[relfy]

Is that right though? As a zoologist, I am with you on the natural progression of things and while I am definitely anti inconsiderate environmental management and governance, I am definitely not a 'conservationist' in the purest form of the word.

However, I thought these must have come on plant pots or something, which is a completely different kettle of fish. Unless you consider man's activities just to be the activities of another animal. Man, this could get philosophical!

Another article from CEH:
http://www.ceh.ac.uk/news/news_archive/2009_news_item_28.html

 

[Bushwhacker]

I took the assumption that they have got here due to the warmer climbs, much in the same way as the Hummingbird Moth has been making regular appearances or the seafish I mentioned.
I didn't consider that they may have come here on plants. I suppose it could be like when someone gets a nasty spider in a crate of bananas. Who knows?

 

[relfy]

Well, the CEH article (I added it below) states how it was introduced to the US as biological control and has a bad impact there... but it doesn't really say how it got here, perhaps noone really knows?

I'm having this huge guilt complex now as I wasn't seeing them before I did a hugemongous amount of gardening and planting of new plants year before last... Oops.

 

[relfy]

Aha:

"The [harlequin] ladybird, originally from Asia, was introduced to Holland and other European countries to control aphids on crops. From there, it crossed the English Channel on the wind, or hidden on fruit and flowers."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/30/harlequin-ladybird-uk-invasion

 

[Bushwhacker]

Ah right, good info. So it is humans messing around with things again. Why can't they let things bide?

 

[relfy]

Wow. what a question! Where to begin....?