Seven Spot Ladybird

[mikebidwell]

Hi there

Whats happened doesn't appear to have been anyone around for a while. Where are you all on holiday.

Hope you are all well??

Kind regards

Mike:)

[Jandy]

Nice pic, Mike. I am not very well up on ladybirds, apart from the well-known red one, and wouldn't know the difference between a "good" one and an alien invader. What does the one from foreign parts look like, I wonder, which I hear is putting our own ones in danger?

[mikebidwell]

Hi there Jandy

Thanks for your comments and the ladybird you are asking about is the Harlequin ladybird. for your information if you click the following link it will take you to a very interesting site which gives descriotions about ladybirds. I'm sure yoou can see that macro work is really one of my passions. But then I like anything to do with nature / Natural history.

http://www.ladybird-survey.org/downloads/Ladybird%20descriptions_Info%20pack_2006_v.1.3.pdf

If you want further information click onto the lady-bird survey link at the bottom of that page.

Lol & Best wishes

Mike

[Jandy]

Thanks for the useful information, Mike. It's interesting how many variations of colour there can be in a single variety of ladybird. Is your yellow 7-spot ladybird rarer than the red type? It is the red one I, and probably quite a few others, are most familiar with.

[mikebidwell]

Hi Jandy

Have to admit when I saw this one I thought then it wasn't our normal Red ladybird that we are used to. I've looked at the other shots in the group and out of all of them there is one that looks a bit more red but that was one taken as the sun went behind a cloud. I'll have to talk with a friend who is one of the countries leading experts on Ladybirds about the colouring, she was in Switzerland last week giving a talk and she used this particular image I'd posted. It will be interesting to find out if anyone over there commented on it's colour.

Best wishes

Mike :)

[Hazelnuts]

Hi Mike

Hope all is well with everyone here. :)

Lovely picture of your seven spot, Mike Great link too.

Love to hear more about what you friend tells you about the one you have in your picture. ;)

Two years ago, we had an invasion of Harlequins in our last house. They lived in clusters on the lounge, and office ceilings. We decided to remove them outside (not kill them though as I would not have the heart to do that). After that they did not return.
I think it was because the house was empty for a while before we moved in and they took up lodgings in it.

Jandy: I have to say I find it hard to tell the difference between the UK species and the Harlequins. Some of the Harleguins look like our 2, 7 spot, and so on. :confused:
One thing I do know is that they can bite (not that I would tempt fate) and they will eat the UK Ladybird species so they are not a species we really want in the UK for that reason.

By the way I have not had my Broadband for the last 2-3 months and relied for the library PC's for odd posts here an there. Now my broadband is back so I am over the moon. :D

Great to be back on-line

Regards
Kathy
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[mikebidwell]

Hi Mike

By the way I have not had my Broadband for the last 2-3 months and relied for the library PC's for odd posts here an there. Now my broadband is back so I am over the moon. :D

Great to be back on-line

Regards
Kathy
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Good morning Kathy

Good news about your Broadband, thanks for your comment about my 7 Spot. Helen was in Switzerland last week and I think she should now be back. As soon as I can I'll get in touch and asker her about the colour. I know when I took the shot it was in extremely bright sunlight so it might even be something to do with that. The other thing is I will check out the 'White Balance' on my D300 just in case I've changed it for some reason and forgot to reset it.

Lol

Mike :)

[Hazelnuts]

Good morning Kathy

Good news about your Broadband, thanks for your comment about my 7 Spot. Helen was in Switzerland last week and I think she should now be back. As soon as I can I'll get in touch and asker her about the colour. I know when I took the shot it was in extremely bright sunlight so it might even be something to do with that. The other thing is I will check out the 'White Balance' on my D300 just in case I've changed it for some reason and forgot to reset it.

Lol

Mike :)

Hello Mike

Thanks for your reply, and the additional comments.

I am looking forward to Helen's thoughts about your Ladybird. Like you say it might be the settings in your camera have gone a bit haywire. I wish I had the same 'photographic' knowledge as yourself though.

Will have to keep practicing with the Canon Powershot G10 at the moment until things get better over time.

Regards
Kathy
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[mikebidwell]

Hi there everybody

I've just heard back from Helen with an answer to Jandy's query regarding the colour of my 7 Spot Ladybird. It makes interesting reading.


Seven-spot ladybirds deepen in colour as they age. So newly emerged ones are yellow and then appear as in your photo as the red colour develops - after they have gone through the winter they are very deep red - so in early spring you get very deep red forms and then in early summer (when the overwintered adults have died) you get the more yellow red ones.

Very best wishes, Helen

So there you have it from an expert, and she really is aalso a very good friend.

Best wishes

Mike

[Hazelnuts]

Hi there everybody

I've just heard back from Helen with an answer to Jandy's query regarding the colour of my 7 Spot Ladybird. It makes interesting reading.


Seven-spot ladybirds deepen in colour as they age. So newly emerged ones are yellow and then appear as in your photo as the red colour develops - after they have gone through the winter they are very deep red - so in early spring you get very deep red forms and then in early summer (when the overwintered adults have died) you get the more yellow red ones.

Very best wishes, Helen

So there you have it from an expert, and she really is aalso a very good friend.

Best wishes

Mike

Hi Mike

Thank you for the spot on ID of the Ladybird, and please thank Helen too. It is so useful to know someone who can give a lot of informtion about wildlife of any type. :)

I never knew that colouration played a vital role in the age of the Ladybird. Yet, another snippet of information that we all learn as humans. :)

We learn such a lot about wildlife on a daily basis and it is a learning curb we cannot live without. :)

Regards
Kathy
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[mikebidwell]

You may remember Hazelnuts had a query regarding my original 7-Spot posting regarding the colour. This query was expertly answered by Dr Helen Roy. I found this 7-Spot in my garden today but this one was a deep red. Thought you might like to see it as a comparison.

I don't know if any of you saw Autumn Watch 2 weeks ago, if you did you will have seen the report on the Harlequin Ladybirds, Helen and her colleague Remy were there talking about this particular species and there was a brief update in last Fridays show. It was very interesting, and they are looking reports from anyone who has noticed these insects in their area. The link to the website for reporting is :

www.ladybird-survey.org (http://www.ladybird-survey.org)

Best wishes

Mike B

[Hazelnuts]

You may remember Hazelnuts had a query regarding my original 7-Spot posting regarding the colour. This query was expertly answered by Dr Helen Roy. I found this 7-Spot in my garden today but this one was a deep red. Thought you might like to see it as a comparison.

I don't know if any of you saw Autum Watch 2 weeks ago, if you did you will have seen the report on the Harlequin Ladybirds, Helen and her colleague Remy were there talking about this particular species and there was a brief update in last Fridays show. It was very interesting, and they are looking reports from anyone who has noticed these insects in their area. The link to the website for reporting is :

www.ladybird-survey.org (http://www.ladybird-survey.org)

Best wishes

Mike B

Hi Mike

Another super shot once more. Well done.

Yes, I remember last time we spoke, we tried to make comparisons between the UK and the Harlequin species - 7 spots (as in your photos)

One observation of my own I picked up of my own about the 2 separate species. If you look at the UK Ladybirds, you will see that there is a lot of black on the head area with little white colouration.

If you look at pictures of the Harlequins on the website you gave us Mike here, you will see that the head part is a lot more white, than black, so that means there is less black colouration.

Can you confirm this 'observation' Mike in any way out of my own curiousity here. ;)

Regards
Kathy
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