Spotty one

Orange Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata)

This year has seen an absolute explosion of ladybirds in the garden. The vast majority have been the near-ubiquitous Seven-spot Ladybirds, but a few other species have made an appearance. Last Friday, we added a new one to the list. This eye-catching little beastie is an Orange Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata). Its pale orangey-brown elytra (the hard cases that protect the membraneous wings) are covered with 14–16 creamy-white spots. Like the 22-spot Ladybird I profiled few weeks ago, this one is a mildew specialist. However, unlike that smaller ladybird, which feeds on umbellifer mildews, the Orange Ladybird feeds primarily on mildews that attack trees — especially those that attack sycamores and ash. From April to October, it's widespread in woodland, towns and gardens across England and Wales, but uncommon in Scotland. Beyond the UK, it's found from Europe right across northern Asia to Siberia, northern China and Japan. Apparently, it's attracted to bright lights at night, and is regularly found in moth traps. That's where we found this one, trundling around among the moths. Interestingly, this species used to be associated only with ancient woodland, and was quite rare in Britain. Within the past few decades, however, it made the jump to the mildews of sycamores and ash, and its numbers have increased dramatically. It's nice to learn of a success story, for a change!