| Ladybirds
      Top l to r: seven-spot ladybird, 22-spot ladybird; bottom l to r: 14-spot ladybird, ten-spot ladybird© Top l to r: Roger Key/English Nature, Bob Gibbons; bottom l to r: Roger Key/English Nature, Bob GibbonsAbout 50 species of ladybird have been found in Britain but at least eight of these are non-native. These are probably the most familiar of all beetles. Their striking colours are a warning that they are unpalatable to predators and birds always avoid them. Several species of ladybird, either as adults or larvae, are significant predators of aphids. Aphids (there are around 500 species in Britain!) are one of the most serious pests to be found in gardens and for that reason alone it makes sense to do everything you can to encourage ladybirds. Avoiding insecticides is important. Detergents may be used an an alternative. You can also try and maintain ladybird numbers by providing places for them to hiberate. Typically, they use leaf litter at the base of perennials such as mulleins and evening primroses. Ferns can be useful, too, in this respect. The presence of nettles and thistles in a garden will attract aphid species particular to those plants, thus offering a regular source of food for ladybirds. About a third of the common ladybird species found in England are vegetarian. The 24-spot eats a wide variety of plant species including grasses, red campion and other members of this family. Others like the 22-spot, the 16-spot and the orange ladybird feed on fungal diseases on leaves, such as rust and smut pustules. This makes almost all of them helpful to gardeners in one way or another. The biggest killers of ladybirds are probably pathogenic fungi, although parasitic wasps, spiders and ants are more familiar enemies. However, ladybird numbers are controlled not primarily by predators but by the availability of food. PlantsBlack spleenwort, Broad buckler-fern, Evening primrose, Gorse, Great mullein, Hard shield-fern, Hart's-tongue, Ivy, Lady-fern, Maidenhair spleenwort, Male-fern, Polypody, Red campion, Royal fern, Spindle, White campion PreyAphids PredatorsAnts, Spiders and harvestmen LadybirdsLadybird (10-spot ), Ladybird (2-spot), Ladybird (7-spot), Ladybird (14-spot), Ladybird (22-spot), Ladybird (24-spot) |
