How it Works: The Baby (Ladybird for Grown-Ups) (Ladybirds for Grown-Ups)

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While it is thought to have a limited impact on some native species, the invasive ladybird is now so well-established that it is effectively here to stay. Some native predators of the insects, such as a parasitic wasp that lays eggs on the ladybird, have started preying on them. This means that ladybird numbers are expected to reach some form of equilibrium.

How to recognise the harlequin ladybird | UK Beetle Recording How to recognise the harlequin ladybird | UK Beetle Recording

If you see a white ‘hairy’ bug, on the underside of leaves or stems, don’t panic – before you murder one of nature’s masters of disguise, read carefully because it’s not what you think it is. Ladybugs lay eggs on leaves near colonies of aphids and other food sources, so their newborns can have access to food as soon as they hatch from their eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae will emerge and start eating like hungry beasts. Ladybug larvae bear no resemblance to the adult parent ladybugs.

What Ladybugs Eat

The eggs are bright yellow, about 1mm long, and are laid on the underside of leaves. They take about one week to hatch.

22-spot ladybird | The Wildlife Trusts 22-spot ladybird | The Wildlife Trusts

The larva sheds it's skin one last time and changes into this immobile blob - the pupa. Inside the body dissolves into a soup and then starts reforming as an adult beetle. This process only takes about a week. Ladybug Larvae. The newly hatched juvenile ladybug is called a larva. The alligator-like larva has an elongated body and spiky exoskeleton. Ladybug larvae have a big appetite. A single larva can eat dozens of aphids in a day. Ladybug larva usually goes through four ‘instar’ stages before becoming an adult ladybug. Many ladybirds can be found without any equipment and searching by eye can be a successful way to observe and identify ladybirds. Some good places to spot ladybirds include herbaceous vegetation, shrubbery and trees. Rifkind, Jacques (2016). "Enoclerus Gahan: predators of chemically protected ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Cleridae and Coccinellidae)". Insecta Mundi (0514): 1–5. ISSN 1942-1354. Barševska, Z.; Barševskis, A. (2016). "A ladybird (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) motif in croched towel end lace: the first example of cultural entomology in Latvia" (PDF). Acta Biol. Univ. Daugavp. 16 (2): 151–154.

How to identify a harlequin ladybird

Although the majority of ladybug species are beneficial insects and cause no harm, there are some destructive types. One of the destructive ladybugs is the Mexican bean beetle ( Epilachna varivestis) that feeds on bean plants. Another type of pest is the Asian lady beetle ( Harmonia axyridis) which is in the ladybug classification of Coccinellidae. Adult - Newly emerged ladybirds are bright yellow. Over the first few hours, the wing casing hardens and the distinctive colour patterns develop.