Kitchen Garden Forum

So far this year i have only seen one harlequin ladybird, though lots of native seven spots and a couple of the tiny blackspot yellow ones. Wondering about other areas?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/85 ... oming.html

Same here, Nature's Babe, just the one Harlequin, but lots of the proper ones.
Also noticed there are a lot of ladybird larvae about too.

Hi OH, apparently even the harlequins have predators, the harlequin's natural enemies already occur in the UK and, therefore, it is possible that they will limit its increase, they say lacewing larvae, and spiders feed on adult harlequins. I don't use pesticides so have quite a lot of lacewings and spiders in the garden. I was amazed to see the wide variety of ladybird larvae.

http://www.ladybird-survey.org/download ... _v.1.4.pdf

Saw my first ever 16-spot ladybird in the garden recently. They are tiny and I only realised it was a ladybird when I looked carefully. Moved it carefully off patio.

We have a fabulous glossy pamphlet type guide produced by the Field Studies Council (FSC) to help identify the different ones. Highly recommended

Thank you for that MikA, lots of different larvae in the garden at the moment esp in the nettle patch!

No Harlequins here either so far this year. Lots of the others though

I haven't seen a harlequin yet but spotted one that was like half a chocolate Easter Egg. I think its a cream spotted ladybird.

I have never seen one of those Gallotments, probably quite rare?

It was the first that I'd seen but from what I have read it isn't considered to be rare. It says that it s habitat is deciduous trees and it was on one of our apple trees