Ladybirds

I'm of the opinion that Nature will always balance itself out if Man keeps his fingers out. As for the Fool with the Plus Fours and the indiscriminate Thumb he is an idiot plus 4.

I leave these Guys alone when they appear in the garden.



and these

But squish these most certainly.

 

An

Basic description of a harlequin ladybird:

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• Size and shape : large (7-8 mm or about 1/4 inch), round

• Elytra (wing case) ground colour: pale yellow-orange, orange-red, red or black; highly variable

• Elytra pattern: 0-21 orange-red or black spots, or grid pattern; highly variable

• Most common forms in UK : orange with 15-21 black spots: black with two or four orange or red spots

• Pronotum pattern: white or cream with up to 5 spots or fused lateral spots forming 2 curved lines, M-shaped mark or solid trapezoid

• Other characteristics: elytra with wide keel at base; legs almost always brown

Distinguishing the harlequin ladybird from other British species:
• If its less than 5 mm (1/5 inch) in length, it is definitely nota harlequin ladybird.

• If its red with precisely 7 black spots, it is a 7-spotladybird.

• If it has white or cream spots, it is a striped ladybird, anorange ladybird or a cream-spot ladybird.

• If it is large, burgundy coloured and has 15 black spots, it is an eyed ladybird

• If it has an orange pronotum, and fine hairs all over theelytra, it is a bryony ladybird.

• If it is black with four or six red spots, two of which are right at the front of the outside margin of the elytra, it is amelanic form of the 2-spot ladybird.
Harlequin ladybird (H. axyridis) - some of the colour variants

H. axyridissuccinea


H. axyridisspectabilis
H. axyridisconspicua


H. axyridis larva




Harlequin and 2-spot ladybird



Harlequin and pine ladybird

Common native species which might cause confusion

7-spot

Cream-spot

2-spot

Striped

Orange

Eyed



Harlequin ladybird larva and pupa



Variability of harlequin ladybirds from one London site, September 2005

 

Easy............

 

That's it ,that's the last time I wear them plus fours

 

As HsuH explained, Lynda, the Lily Beetle is a very handsome beast and I do destroy it by hand, not chemicals, with regret. It, and it's larvae, can wreak havoc on Lilies overnight with the Larvae probably doing the most damage. It is the only insect that I have to wage war on as it will multiply in numbers quickly and just devastate plants. It will frequent other plants as well but lilies are where it does so much damage. They are pretty stupid as they have a great liking to bask in the Sun on the top a Leaf , so much so that I often image them with a deckchair, sunglasses, and an icecream, when they're not mating


Scarlet lily beetleLilioceris lilii

Look for
These bright red beetles are very distinctive and therefore quite easy to spot on affected plants. Also, look for holes in leaves, stems and flowers, left by the small slimy black larvae.


Plants affected

• They're highly destructive to lilies (Lilium), and fritillaries (Fritillaria).

About Scarlet lily beetle

• These bright red beetles, with distinctive black legs and antennae, are an invasive species which was first recorded in the UK during the 1940s.
• They're also known as red lily beetles and are now commonly found across the south-east of England, and have recently been reported in parts of Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
• When disturbed, adults emit a high pitch squeak, perhaps as a warning to other beetles.
• Adults overwinter in the soil and emerge in late-March to early April.
• Adults will continue to mate and feed from spring until autumn.
• After mating, females will lay small groups of bright orange eggs on the underside of leaves.
• Larvae hatch a few days later as red or orange-coloured grubs with black heads and three pairs of legs on their upper body.
• As they feed, the larvae cover themselves in their own sticky black excrement.
• Lily beetle larvae are usually found on the underside of leaves where they feed from the tip and work back to the stem.
• Any larvae which survive to become adults will drop to the soil in late autumn to overwinter, and emerge again the next spring.

Treatment
Chemical
Products containing the following chemical ingredients are all effective on Scarlet lily beetle

• Pyrethrum
• Natural fatty acids
• Surfactant-based products

Note: It is important to read manufacturer's instructions for use and the associated safety data information before applying chemical treatments.

Organic

• Inspect plants carefully in early spring and remove any adults and larvae by hand to prevent infestations becoming established.
• Use netting and fleece to contain the pests and stop adults moving between plants.
• Replant pot-grown lilies and fritillarias using fresh compost in early spring before the overwintering adult beetles emerge from the soil.
• There are no biological controls commercially available, although a range of native parasites and predators will feed on both adult and larval stages. So encourage these by establishing a natural balance of wildlife in your garden and avoid using chemicals.

Prevention

• Check plants regularly for signs of infestation and deal with them as soon as they appear.
• Encourage insect-eating birds by putting up feeders in winter and provide nesting boxes in spring.