7-Spot Ladybird

About 3500 ladybird species have been described of which 46 can be establish in the Uk, and of these only 26 will be willingly recognized as Ladybirds. Ladybird beetles or Ladybugs in the USA, are almost certainly the most well known of all insects. They are a beneficial zoophagous garden species as both adults and larvae feed on a lot of different soft-bodied insects - aphids, spider mites, greenflies, whiteflies, mealybugs and other scale insects - with aphids life form their main food source. They lay eggs in small clusters of 10-50, stuck to the base of leaves where aphids are usually found, hatching in about 7 days. The larvae with their spiky segmented body, 6 legs, no wings, fierce form and a voracious appetite for greenfly, are infrequently called "insect alligators". They feed on the near aphids, having 3 stages (4 instars) previous to pupating.

Adults hibernate over winter, in bark crevices, houses and rocks, now and then in large groups. Ladybirds are small dome wrought between 5-12mm long (0.2-0.5), and depending on species, they are mostly a sleek red colour with black spots, six legs and two short antennae. There are other colour variations - black with red spots, yellow, orange & black forms. Larvae are predated by Lacewings and adults by small birds, but the adult Ladybird is capable of exuding a foul tasting liquid from it's leg joints, so they are not usually eaten. Mostly helpful to the environment there are a number of Ladybird species that feed on plants quite than insects, two notable ones being the Squash Beetle and the Mexican bean beetle. Most Ladybirds have one cohort per year but some will have 2 generations Eg. the 14 Spot Ladybird.