Louloubelle
Well-Known Member
frogwoman said:Lacewings areI didn't know harlequins ate them too. don't the lacewings eat aphids as well?
yes they do
up to 10,000 aphids in their lifetimes
if the harlequins don't eat them first
Harlequin ladybirds
- Thread starter frogwoman
- Start date
yes they do
up to 10,000 aphids in their lifetimes
if the harlequins don't eat them first
Louloubelle
Well-Known Member
frogwoman said:The thing is I find the concept of a ladybird eating a lacewing rather odd. I always imagined them to work in some kind of cool aphid-hunting team
It doesnt seem right
It's not right
It's what happens when humans mess around with nature
The sad fact is that we can't be entirely sure what effect these harlequin ladybirds will have on our native wildlife, but they would even be harmful to bees in some way we don't yet understand, they could have a catastrophic effect on our country.
They can't help being what they are but IMO it's our duty to our own wildlife to cull as many of them as we can
frogwoman
Let them eat newts
I heard somewhere that the reason they were in the country was because companies were selling them as a form of pest control - to kill aphids.
Why can't they breed seven spots or two spots ffs?
Maybe someone could invent a genetically-modified parasitic super-wasp that only attacked harlequins. And as soon as it attacked another ladybird it automatically died, or its eggs got absorbed in the ladybird's body, and didn't harm the actual ladybird. Well I dont really mean that bcos i dont like GM but you know what I mean. There has to be something.
Apparently there is a parasitic wasp that depends on the two-spot to lay its eggs inside. Is there a chance as that ladybird becomes rarer it could lay its eggs inside the harlequin instead?
Why can't they breed seven spots or two spots ffs?
Maybe someone could invent a genetically-modified parasitic super-wasp that only attacked harlequins. And as soon as it attacked another ladybird it automatically died, or its eggs got absorbed in the ladybird's body, and didn't harm the actual ladybird. Well I dont really mean that bcos i dont like GM but you know what I mean. There has to be something.
Apparently there is a parasitic wasp that depends on the two-spot to lay its eggs inside. Is there a chance as that ladybird becomes rarer it could lay its eggs inside the harlequin instead?
frogwoman
Let them eat newts
citygirl said:that's not very multicultural of ya
send me some to kill my greenfly
I know its terrible isnt it. Where's northernhoard?
only joking lol - but i think stuff like multiculturalism doesn't really apply when there is an evil ladybird threatening other ladybirds and threatening to make them extinct ... there are 46 species of ladybird at the moment in this country which is pretty multicultural!!
and we dont want it to go down to only 1
frogwoman
Let them eat newts
Its not the fact of their being foreign either, btw. There have been other foreign ladybirds which have established themselves in this country and got on with their lives, and not presented a threat to any other ladybird 
If they changed their behaviour a bit (which is very difficult for an insect to learn to do in such a limited lifespan and i think in terms of evolution extremely unlikely cos its helped them survive) i would be happy to have them here, they're an absolutely beautiful beetle IMO
If they changed their behaviour a bit (which is very difficult for an insect to learn to do in such a limited lifespan and i think in terms of evolution extremely unlikely cos its helped them survive) i would be happy to have them here, they're an absolutely beautiful beetle IMO
frogwoman
Let them eat newts
OK right.
If its big and looks like that ladybird above, or has a strange number of spots or is big and black with four red spots it's probably a harlequin ladybird. In which case its allright to kill them because they're evil. It has to have brown legs as well, if its not got brown legs its not a harlequin so DONT harm it in anyway.
If it is red or orange, and big, and has seven large black spots, then DO NOT KILL IT under any circumstances!!! Its a seven spot ladybird and up to recently was the most common ladybird in the country.
If it is small and red with two black spots OR small and black with four red spots then DONT KILL IT EITHER. It is a two spot. They are getting increasingly rare because of STDs and also because of the harlequin eating their food and offspring, and because of fucking parasitic wasps. They are the most promiscuous ladybird around. The seven spot and the two spot both have black legs.
If it is small and yellow and has kind of a "square" pattern of black spots or rectangles on it, linking together or whatever, then it is a fourteen spot. I'll try and find a pic cos i am not doing very well at explaining. Never ever kill this ladybird either. They are usually found on stinging nettles btw.
If it is even smaller than this, bright yellow, with multitudes of spots, then this is another fantastic ladybird to have. It does not eat aphids, it eats mildew from plants. It is probably the sweetest and most beautiful ladybird there is. It is called a twenty-two spot and it does actually have twenty two spots, if you count them all. Needless to say this ladybird must not be killed.
Round about the same size there is another tiny ladybird, which is cream coloured and you often find it on posts. Its a sixteen spot. It has a thick black line going down the middle of it. This is actually supposed to be the commonest ladybird around although most people don't see one as they live mostly in grass and are TINY. Don't kill it.
A bit smaller than this even there is a ladybird called a 24 spot. It is dark and red and it eats grass and you usually find it in the grass, near the bottom. It does have 24 spots but these are all really tiny. In addition it is also slightly hairy. Do not kill this ladybird.
There are quite a few small black ladybirds around, such as the kidney spot ladybird. They look quite similar to the black two-spot but they're not the same. The pine ladybird is about the same size as the two-spot and is a gorgeous beetle, which can be loads of different colours.
Any ladybird smaller than a seven spot is NOT a harlequin and must not be killed.
There are two other ladybirds which mostly live in trees - the orange ladybird and the cream spot ladybird. These look basically the same except one is brown and one is pale orange or yellow. They both have white spots and they mostly live in trees, both lovely lovely insects.
There are 46 different ladybirds in the UK and it will take me a million years to describe them all, but these are the commonest ones you are likely to see. Always ask someone if you think you've found a harlequin because there is a good chance you might be killing a good ladybird by mistake if you kill it.
Finally there is the Eyed ladybird which looks very similar to the harlequin except it is a bit bigger and has white rings round all its spots and it lives on pine trees. Oh and the Ten Spot which is the same size as a two spot but has ten spots normally, or it can be brown with a few peach coloured spots.
Happy hunting xx
If its big and looks like that ladybird above, or has a strange number of spots or is big and black with four red spots it's probably a harlequin ladybird. In which case its allright to kill them because they're evil. It has to have brown legs as well, if its not got brown legs its not a harlequin so DONT harm it in anyway.
If it is red or orange, and big, and has seven large black spots, then DO NOT KILL IT under any circumstances!!! Its a seven spot ladybird and up to recently was the most common ladybird in the country.
If it is small and red with two black spots OR small and black with four red spots then DONT KILL IT EITHER. It is a two spot. They are getting increasingly rare because of STDs and also because of the harlequin eating their food and offspring, and because of fucking parasitic wasps
. They are the most promiscuous ladybird around. The seven spot and the two spot both have black legs. If it is small and yellow and has kind of a "square" pattern of black spots or rectangles on it, linking together or whatever, then it is a fourteen spot. I'll try and find a pic cos i am not doing very well at explaining. Never ever kill this ladybird either. They are usually found on stinging nettles btw.
If it is even smaller than this, bright yellow, with multitudes of spots, then this is another fantastic ladybird to have. It does not eat aphids, it eats mildew from plants. It is probably the sweetest and most beautiful ladybird there is. It is called a twenty-two spot and it does actually have twenty two spots, if you count them all. Needless to say this ladybird must not be killed.
Round about the same size there is another tiny ladybird, which is cream coloured and you often find it on posts. Its a sixteen spot. It has a thick black line going down the middle of it. This is actually supposed to be the commonest ladybird around although most people don't see one as they live mostly in grass and are TINY. Don't kill it.
A bit smaller than this even there is a ladybird called a 24 spot. It is dark and red and it eats grass and you usually find it in the grass, near the bottom. It does have 24 spots but these are all really tiny. In addition it is also slightly hairy. Do not kill this ladybird.
There are quite a few small black ladybirds around, such as the kidney spot ladybird. They look quite similar to the black two-spot but they're not the same. The pine ladybird is about the same size as the two-spot and is a gorgeous beetle, which can be loads of different colours.
Any ladybird smaller than a seven spot is NOT a harlequin and must not be killed.
There are two other ladybirds which mostly live in trees - the orange ladybird and the cream spot ladybird. These look basically the same except one is brown and one is pale orange or yellow. They both have white spots and they mostly live in trees, both lovely lovely insects.
There are 46 different ladybirds in the UK and it will take me a million years to describe them all, but these are the commonest ones you are likely to see. Always ask someone if you think you've found a harlequin because there is a good chance you might be killing a good ladybird by mistake if you kill it.
Finally there is the Eyed ladybird which looks very similar to the harlequin except it is a bit bigger and has white rings round all its spots and it lives on pine trees. Oh and the Ten Spot which is the same size as a two spot but has ten spots normally, or it can be brown with a few peach coloured spots.
Happy hunting
xx
frogwoman
Let them eat newts
Loulou, maybe you'd know something about this??
today, i saw a deformed-looking harlequin ladybird. Its wings were apart and it looked quite small, there was a big bulge underneath one of its wings and it didn't really seem able to move properly although it was definitely alive. At first I thought that it had been parasitised by something, or squashed, but it didn't really look like it, it looked more like a tumour of some kind. Does anyone know what might have happened
Also today I saw a dead harlequin ladybird which looked as though it had been partly eaten from the inside.
today, i saw a deformed-looking harlequin ladybird. Its wings were apart and it looked quite small, there was a big bulge underneath one of its wings and it didn't really seem able to move properly although it was definitely alive. At first I thought that it had been parasitised by something, or squashed, but it didn't really look like it, it looked more like a tumour of some kind. Does anyone know what might have happened
Also today I saw a dead harlequin ladybird which looked as though it had been partly eaten from the inside.
Louloubelle
Well-Known Member
frogwoman said:Loulou, maybe you'd know something about this??
today, i saw a deformed-looking harlequin ladybird. Its wings were apart and it looked quite small, there was a big bulge underneath one of its wings and it didn't really seem able to move properly although it was definitely alive. At first I thought that it had been parasitised by something, or squashed, but it didn't really look like it, it looked more like a tumour of some kind. Does anyone know what might have happened
Also today I saw a dead harlequin ladybird which looked as though it had been partly eaten from the inside.
I don't know what these things were but it sounds very hopeful that some kind of parasitic wasp might have got to them.
I think that if you can it would be extremely helpful to take as good photos as you can of these and if you don't have a good camera with a marco function then put the offending beastie into a matchbox and take it to some who does. Alternatively put it in a matchbox and send it in to the people at the survey. AFAIK they don't know if anything paractitises the harlequins so if they find out that something does they'll be over the moon
frogwoman
Let them eat newts
I bet they will be.
I threw the dead ladybird away but I should have kept it. I will go and see if the deformed ladybird is still there.
I feel a bit bad killing them. It doesnt seem right somehow. I've been flushing the ones I find in the house down the loo and leaving the rest.
I threw the dead ladybird away but I should have kept it.
I will go and see if the deformed ladybird is still there. I feel a bit bad killing them. It doesnt seem right somehow. I've been flushing the ones I find in the house down the loo and leaving the rest.
breasticles
the smell of life
im at my mum's house; she told me there was an infestation of ladybirds in the windowsill but it didnt occur to me they could be evil harlequins until i read this thread. ive just opened the window and accidentally killed a couple (good thing they werent any other kind) and they are definitely harlequins. good riddance you ladybird fuckbastards!
not much idea what to do about the infestation though, except for maybe paint the house brown so as not to attract them. its quite a big house.
not much idea what to do about the infestation though, except for maybe paint the house brown so as not to attract them. its quite a big house.
breasticles
the smell of life
well, theyre a bit squashed now... but i looked fairly closely at the gallery on the website you posted, and im as sure as i can be, basically because of the white head markings and the colour of their legs. also, theyre pretty massive.
frogwoman
Let them eat newts
apparently dinocampus coccinellae prefers other ladybirds apart from the harlequin ... because it is sometimes poisonous for the wasp, or its larvae or something.
same reason it doesn't go for the two-spot, apparently most of the larvae don't survive to adulthood.
dinocampus coccinellae is a little bastard - but we need it around - more so than ever now ... although a single wasp can be responsible for the death of forty thousand ladybirds (it parasitises 200 ladybirds during its life) and allow 55+ million aphids to survive. if it was able to kill the harlequin then it would actually help other ladybirds to survive, which is ironic because it's a little ladybird-killing cunt.
If you find one - kill it!! unless there are any harlequins around - then they should be "introduced".
mind you ... the harlequin's increased numbers are actually helping it to die out because it doesn't like to go for them - so maybe this could allow native ladybirds to get the "edge" back. who knows?
same reason it doesn't go for the two-spot, apparently most of the larvae don't survive to adulthood.
dinocampus coccinellae is a little bastard - but we need it around - more so than ever now ... although a single wasp can be responsible for the death of forty thousand ladybirds (it parasitises 200 ladybirds during its life) and allow 55+ million aphids to survive. if it was able to kill the harlequin then it would actually help other ladybirds to survive, which is ironic because it's a little ladybird-killing cunt.
If you find one - kill it!! unless there are any harlequins around - then they should be "introduced".
mind you ... the harlequin's increased numbers are actually helping it to die out because it doesn't like to go for them - so maybe this could allow native ladybirds to get the "edge" back. who knows?
frogwoman
Let them eat newts
This is more proof imo that all wasps must suffer a painful and excruciating death, preferably involving radioactive uranium, or being ripped apart by bears. mind you, it would probably sting the bear first, so forget that idea. Something more exciting, like being sent to a huge wasp concentration camp, where they were made to sting each other until they died, at the risk of being beaten with sticks if they didn't.
I hate wasps, despise them, with a deep seated loathing, they are the most evil insect in the world.
Apart from the harlequins and locusts of course.
rant over
is more proof imo that all wasps must suffer a painful and excruciating death, preferably involving radioactive uranium, or being ripped apart by bears. mind you, it would probably sting the bear first, so forget that idea. Something more exciting, like being sent to a huge wasp concentration camp, where they were made to sting each other until they died, at the risk of being beaten with sticks if they didn't.
I hate wasps, despise them, with a deep seated loathing, they are the most evil insect in the world.
Apart from the harlequins and locusts of course.
rant over
frogwoman
Let them eat newts
Apparently all ladybirds are highly promiscuous, and two-spots in particular.
I personally find it fascinating, I have always loved ladybirds and recently when I have been finding a bit more about those that live in this country, I just have more and more affection towards them. In a totally non sexual way because that would just be wrong.
they really are lovely x
I personally find it fascinating, I have always loved ladybirds and recently when I have been finding a bit more about those that live in this country, I just have more and more affection towards them. In a totally non sexual way because that would just be wrong.
they really are lovely
x
frogwoman
Let them eat newts
I saw a VERY small pine ladybird today (one of these ones: )
It was like that except that it was about 2 1/2 mm long. It was on a bollard in town where there was obviously not going to be any food - there weren't any plants nearby - and there were loads of harlequin ladybirds around and I didn't want them to eat it (in fact it was trying to mate with one lol) so i picked it up and took it to an oak tree in the park about half a mile away. Was this a good thing to do? I know they eat scale insects but would there be any around this time of year?
It was like that except that it was about 2 1/2 mm long. It was on a bollard in town where there was obviously not going to be any food - there weren't any plants nearby - and there were loads of harlequin ladybirds around and I didn't want them to eat it (in fact it was trying to mate with one lol) so i picked it up and took it to an oak tree in the park about half a mile away. Was this a good thing to do? I know they eat scale insects but would there be any around this time of year?
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
Video clip on BBC online.....do a search for a phrase in this text that accomapies the clip
"Britain's native ladybirds are being threatened by a foreign invader which has even infested some homes."
"Britain's native ladybirds are being threatened by a foreign invader which has even infested some homes."
Louloubelle
Well-Known Member
Papingo said:
that looks like a goody to me
cherish and protect it
On Autumnwatch last night they were talking about the problems of harlequin ladybirds, and encouraged us to participate in the harlequin ladybird survey in order to 'help monitor its spread across Britain'...
http://www.harlequin-survey.org/
http://www.harlequin-survey.org/
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
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