NATURE NEWS 

                                                                                                      13 December 2023 

Ladybirds’ Lifecycle

Right now, some harlequin ladybirds are still searching for a place where to spend the winter. This Asian ladybird is a newcomer to the UK that has established itself. The other common ladybird in our area is the 7-spot ladybird, but it has retired earlier to all sorts of nooks and crannies; the last harlequins will soon follow. Look in your shed!

Ladybirds overwinter in the adult stage and, yes, they are very resistant to the cold.
In the Spring they become active, mate and soon lay egg clusters under leaves that look uncannily like the cabbage butterfly’s eggs, but the latter are ribbed. In any case, leave those eggs well alone, until they hatch. The ladybird larvae look like little crocodiles and are very voracious. Later they pupate where they have been feeding. When the adults emerge, in the case of the harlequin ladybird they reproduce again, but not so the seven-spot ladybird which only has one generation per year. This might explain why it has retired earlier. Below is the lifecycle of the 7-spot ladybird, downloaded from UK Ladybird Survey: https://www.coleoptera.org.uk/coccinellidae/ladybird-life-cycle

• October-February: Adult ladybirds spend winter in a dormant state, known as 'overwintering'.

• March-April: Adult ladybirds become active and leave theiroverwintering sites to find food.

• May: Ladybirds mate.

• June-July: Mated females lay eggs which hatch into immature stages called 'larvae' which pass through four instars (stages) and then form 'pupae'.

• August: The new generation of adult ladybirds emerge from the pupae.

• September: These new adults feed but do not mate until next spring after they have overwintered.

Ladybirds are one of our best allies in our war against the aphids and knowing every step of their lifecycle is very important for their conservation.

Now that I no longer have a plot in the Drury Road Allotment site, do get in touch with me when you find anything exciting/puzzling. 

Maria Fremlin, Colchester CO3 3AT, mariafremlin@gmail.com, 07880 512728, 01206 767746.