# harlequin ladybird



## macro junkie (Apr 3, 2008)

A new ladybird has arrived in Britain. But not just any ladybird: this is the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, the most invasive ladybird on Earth.

The harlequin ladybird was introduced to North America in 1988, where it is now the most widespread ladybird species on the continent. It has already invaded much of northwestern Europe, and arrived in Britain in summer 2004.

The distribution map on the left or the annnual spread maps show that it has spread rapidly north and west from the southeast of England since its first sighting.

There are 46 species of ladybird (Coccinellidae) resident in Britain and the recent arrival of the harlequin ladybird has the potential to jeopardise many of these. The Harlequin Ladybird Survey will monitor its spread across Britain and assess its impact on native ladybirds


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## chrisboy101 (Apr 3, 2008)

how interesting


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## chrisboy101 (Apr 3, 2008)

why does it have potential to jeopardise other species of ladybird?


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## macro junkie (Apr 3, 2008)

chrisboy101 said:


> why does it have potential to jeopardise other species of ladybird?


The insect has a huge appetite for greenfly, leaving little for native ladybirds who then starve.

Worse still, the harlequin will turn on other ladybirds if food resources diminish for the whole population. The invader will also prey on other types of insects, eating butterfly eggs, caterpillars and lacewing larvae

my pic of the day


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## chrisboy101 (Apr 3, 2008)

hope it doesnt come to that


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## macro junkie (Apr 3, 2008)

chrisboy101 said:


> hope it doesnt come to that


it allready has..they been here 4 years..and there breeding at a massive rate!


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## chrisboy101 (Apr 3, 2008)

chrisboy101 said:


> hope it doesnt come to that


wat the heck, i thought theyd just come,not gd lol


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## nympho (Apr 4, 2008)

i think theres a cluster of 20 hibernating in the shed here which i thought looked different to the normal big ones. havnt seen any normal ones for a while come to think of it. ah well, they might be pests but at least they have the decency to come in a wide variety of pretty patterns  

http://www.harlequin-survey.org/recognitio...istinction.htm#


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## OGIGA (Apr 4, 2008)

Hmm, we call them ladybugs in the US. And we consider them good because they eat aphids and other pests.


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## macro junkie (Apr 4, 2008)

OGIGA said:


> Hmm, we call them ladybugs in the US. And we consider them good because they eat aphids and other pests.


so do we..but this is a different one..its going round eating all the other species of ladybug.


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## OGIGA (Apr 4, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> so do we..but this is a different one..its going round eating all the other species of ladybug.


Oh dear. I had no idea.


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## Malnra (Apr 4, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> so do we..but this is a different one..its going round eating all the other species of ladybug.


Part of me thinks ... what's the problem with that .... ladybug A .. ladybug B ... what's the diff ...


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## Morpheus uk (Apr 5, 2008)

Species are dying out, thats the problem, theres a few maple trees at the back of my house and the summer it is covered in tonnes of different looking ladies :lol: 

Will take some photos this year

On that link i thought they were all different sp!

I suppose the gathered unstopable force of us mantid keepers with are horde of constantly hungry mantids wont even be able to do anything becaue of the secretions they make


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