It has been mentioned that there have not been as many of quite a few species of insects around this year, but I have really noticed that I haven't seen many ladybirds at all. In fact, the only place I can recall seeing any is on our front door where I have seen a couple of yellow with black spots.

Is it just me or is this another case of the wet summer making it difficult for our insects? Has anyone else seen many ladybirds around?

I think it's definitely the wet summer - as when it was warm in the Spring there were hundreds of them flying about the garden as they were hibernating in my window (I couldn't open my window all winter!!!) But since then I haven't seen one!

Even here where I live I have not seen many ladybirds (or ladybugs, as they are more commonly known).

Kingfisher

I didn't see many ladybirds in the Spring either, but from what you say it seems it has been the wet weather this Summer that has hurt their numbers.

I haven't seen many around either. I saw a yellow one with white spots yesterday which was noticeable because it was one of the few I have seen.

Yes usually the most common type by far I see is red and black spots, but it has not been lke that at all this summer. In fact, I have not seen any of the more common species.

After a promising start, we too are short of ladybirds. Here is one I saw this week.It wasn't even yellow it was almost a light olive colour.

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This post was last modified: 09-10-2007 06:45 AM by tibbar.

Here is one I spotted today sunning himself but he was still very sluggish.
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Now you mention it, I haven't seen one all year! And Tibbar I've never ever come across ones that colour

hello
yes this year i have seen very few ladybirds in my garden also have had no problems with greenfly and blackfly on my plants is there a link with food supplys for ladybirds?. but on the good side i have had a fantastic year for moths, not very good at identyfying moths but one that i did reconise was a privet hawk moth a huge moth, did not have a digital camera then as i would have took a pic.

Talking of colour . How many different ladybirds are there?

It seems that there are around 43 resident species of ladybirds in the UK.

Tibbar, I think your first photo is possibly a 10-spot ladybird, and the ladybird in your second photo looks like the commonly found 2-spot ladybird.

http://www.ladybird-survey.org/downloads..._v.1.3.pdf

Kingfisher

The second one does look like a two-spot, although I can't seem to get that link to work at the moment.

Sorry , you can't see them because of the camera angle but it did actually have another two towards the back so that makes him a four spot. Are they only classified as regards how many spots they have with no regard to colour?

This post was last modified: 22-10-2007 07:08 AM by tibbar.

I get the impression that colour, and number/placement of spots is actually a not very reliable way of telling all the ladybirds apart!

I also get the impression that there are minute details, such as the shape of the head, shape of body, arrangement of things on the underside of the ladybird, etc., etc., which are more useful to the entomologist.

A major way to tell them apart is to determine in what environment they were found. Some are specific to conifers, some to grasses, whilst others (the more difficult ones) are generalists, and can be found virtually anywhere.

Kingfisher