Ladybird, ladybird, fly away dwelling… Solely, it appears they’ve all flown into mine. Each morning I come throughout a number of on the within of the home windows, like droplets of nail varnish motoring round on tiny legs.
These spotty beetles may drive me dotty. Some days I launch half a dozen exterior, making quite a few journeys to the again door, cupping them in my palm like cube. And whereas their joyful polka dot patterns have a nursery faculty simplicity about them, figuring out ladybirds is way from simple. The number of colouring and markings, even among the many identical species, signifies that one can’t at all times depend on merely counting the spots.
These I’ve present in my home vary from blood orange to gentle tangerine. The domed backs of some people are punctuated with rows of full stops, as if they’d acquired jammed in a printer, whereas others are solely freed from darkish markings. All seem like harlequin ladybirds, that are recognized to hunt out cosy locations in numbers to endure by way of the colder months. This non-native species originates in Asia and was deployed elsewhere as a organic management due to its urge for food for aphids – finally discovering its solution to Britain about 20 years in the past. It breeds quickly and should outcompete our native ladybirds for prey or eat their eggs and larvae. As such, this latest arrival is just not thought of a completely welcome addition to our fauna.
On the plus facet, harlequin ladybirds are enticing, with a decide‑and-mix assortment of designs. They’ve orangey-brown legs, quite than the standard black, and will also be distinguished from comparable UK species by a triangle of white within the centre of the pinnacle. The pronotum – the sleek plate behind the eyes – might also be white with a thick black “M”, when considered from behind.
These rotund invaders should have discovered their manner into my home down a chimney or beneath a door final autumn, and now spring has arrived it seems they’re counting on me to ferry them exterior once more.
I’m starting to wonder if the harlequins are the identical ones that maintain coming again inside. It’s inconceivable to know, given the numerous combos of dots. Maybe it’s about time I began finishing up spot checks.
