‘Invasion of cannibal ladybirds carrying STIs wreaks havoc,” says
the Sun., and they have arrived in Martinstown! Several dozen of these very variable ladybirds were seen today basking in the autumnal sun on the Old Cricket Ground fence.
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| Harlequin Ladybirds. Click to enlarge. Photo. John Elliott |
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| Harlequin Ladybird larvae. Click to enlarge. Photo. John Elliott |
This very variable species, the spots can vary between two and twenty, was used to control aphids in the US in the 1980s. Quickly spreading to Europe, it arrived in Britain in 2004, and has now spread country wide in record time. On first arrival it started eating, not only aphids, but also our native Ladybirds.However it is now thought that small wasp species are predating the insects and that a balance will be achieved in time.
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