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~ a celebration of nature

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Tag Archives: Halyzia secedimguttata

It’s a miracle!

07 Thursday Sep 2017

Posted by sconzani in insects, ladybird, nature

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Halyzia 16-punctata, Halyzia secedimguttata, ladybird, ladybird larva, ladybird lifecycle, ladybird pupa, ladybug, Orange ladybird

I believe I may have an addiction to ladybirds! When I decided to write this post, I thought I’d just check that I hadn’t covered this topic already: of course, I knew I had written about ladybirds before but I didn’t realise quite how many times. There’s a post here and here and again here and another one here. Well, in spite of all those, here’s another one because, when I found all the Orange ladybirds pictured here within five minutes of each other yesterday, I was struck yet again by just how incredible is their transformation from egg to larva …

170907 Orange ladybird (1)

to pupa …

170907 Orange ladybird (2)
170907 Orange ladybird (3)
170907 Orange ladybird (4)

to ladybird. It really is quite miraculous!

170907 Orange ladybird (5)

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A blast of orange

11 Tuesday Jul 2017

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

British ladybirds, Halyzia 16-guttata, Halyzia secedimguttata, ladybird, ladybird larva, ladybug, Orange ladybird

170711 Orange Ladybird (1)

When I’m out and about on my wanders, it’s usually a preponderance of Harlequin ladybirds that I see but this day was different. Instead of Harlequins, there seemed to be beautiful little Orange ladybirds (Halyzia 16-guttata) wherever I looked. And there weren’t just adult ladybirds – almost every leaf I turned over had their larvae as well. And this was across two different parks, not just in one location.

170711 Orange ladybird nymph (1)
170711 Orange ladybird nymph (2)

We are constantly warned that the invasive Harlequins, first recorded in Britain in October 2004, are a serious threat to Britain’s native ladybirds, and surveys have shown that most native ladybirds are in serious decline, partly due to the Harlequin but also due to habitat loss. Perhaps the Orange ladybird is fighting back. It has apparently adapted to living on different tree species, first the sycamore and more recently the ash, so this may be aiding its apparent increase in abundance. I certainly hope so!

170711 Orange Ladybird (2)
170711 Orange Ladybird (3)
170711 Orange Ladybird (4)
170711 Orange Ladybird (5)

Don’t forget that we can’t know what’s happening with British ladybirds (or, indeed, any other living species) unless sightings are recorded. You can record yours through your local biodiversity records centre or directly with the UK Ladybird Survey website here.

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Itsy bitsy, teenie weenie

11 Friday Mar 2016

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Halyzia secedimguttata, ladybird, Orange ladybird

It seems you never know what you might find inside an old rubbery Jelly ear fungus. I certainly didn’t expect to find this delightful little creature, an Orange ladybird (Halyzia secedimguttata). They usually overwinter in a cosy spot amongst the leaf litter or tucked away in a crack in tree bark but the Jelly ear was on a fallen branch and I guess it looked like a snug cave to an insect that’s only 4-6mm long.

160311 orange ladybird (1)

Until 1987 the orange ladybird was thought to live only in ancient woodland but then it discovered it rather liked living on sycamore trees and later developed a liking for ash trees as well, so now you can find it in any woodland, park or garden in Wales and England where these trees grow. It is less common in Scotland apparently – perhaps too cold?

160311 orange ladybird (2)

The Orange ladybird feeds on the powdery mildew fungi that grows on trees and has an interesting lifecycle, laying batches of up to 40 eggs at a time, which hatch as larvae, which eventually pupate while the adult ladybird develops. Fascinating!

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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