Bryony ladybird (Henosepilachna argus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Henosepilachna argus

Adult Bryony Ladybird (Henosepilachna argus) at Laguna Campillo, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 5-7mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

The Bryony Ladybird is a species of ladybird that is specialised to specific species of plants - a vegetarian species which feeds on the leaves of bryony plants as well as melons, gourds, cucumbers marrows and so on.   While in the the UK it is limited around London for the most part.  This individual however was seen in Spain where it is a more common species.

Related Species: 
Order: Coleoptera 
Family: Coccinellidae 
Genus: Henosepilachna 
SUBSPECIES: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - ?

A widespread resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: A single individual at Laguna Campillo

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

24-Spot Ladybird (Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata)

OTHER NAMES: Alfalfa Ladybird, Alfalfa Lady Beetle

Latin Etymology: Subcoccinella ("sub-ladybird") vigintiquatuorpunctata ("twenty-four spotted")

Two adult 24-Spotted Ladybird (Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata) at Geddington, Northants - May 2011

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 3-4mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

The 24-Spot Ladybird is another highly variable species capable of having a wide range of spots up to 26.  More unusually though, unlike all other British ladybirds, its shell has a somewhat velvet-like quality with tiny downy hair like structures giving it a bit more of a matte appearance.  Also unusual is that this ladybird is often flightless - a sample in the UK found that none had wings under their wing cases, while individuals in other countries may have a portion of the population be winged.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Subcoccinella
SUBSPECIES: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

22-Spot Ladybird (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata)

OTHER NAMES: Twenty-two-spot Ladybird

Latin Etymology: Psyllobora (?) vigintiduopunctata ("twenty-two spotted")

Adult 22-spotted Ladybird (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata) at Geddington, Northants - September 2011

Featured Subspecies: ?

Length: 3-5mm 
UK Status: Not Evaluated /IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

The 22-Spot Ladybird is another of the small yellow ladybirds that are fairly widely distributed across the UK and the rest of Europe. Unlike most ladybirds however, instead of being an aphid specialist it feeds on mildew from shrubs and certain other slightly taller plants.  The obvious species for confusion is the more common 14-spot ladybird, but that has fewer and more rectangular spots.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Psyllobora
SUBSPECIES: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington and several other sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Adonis Ladybird (Hippodamia variegata)

OTHER NAMES: Spotted Amber Ladybird, Variegated Lady Beetle, Variegated Ladybug
Latin Etymology: Hippodamia (from various Ancient Greek mythical figures) variegata ("variegated")

Adult Adonis Ladybird (Hippodamia variegata - uknown subspecies) at Pitsford Reservoir, Northants - August 2011

Featured Subspecies: ?

Length: 3-6mm 
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

At a glance, fairly similar to the much more common two and seven spot ladybirds, the differences become apparent on closer inspection. Firstly, it has a distinctive more shieldlike shape compared to those species, and has spots which are more distributed to the rear of the species. It is also more specialised than them, only feeding on certain kinds of aphid compared to the more general diets of the commoner types.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera 
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Hippodamia
SUBSPECIES: H. v. doubledayi, H. v. var, H. v. variegata - 

Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen at Pitsford Reservoir

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Orange Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata)

OTHER NAMES: Sixteen-Spot Orange, Orange spotted Ladybird
Latin Etymology: Halyzia (?) sedecimguttata ("sixteen-spotted")

Adult Orange Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata) at Geddington, Northants - August 2011

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 4.5-6mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

Yet another Ladybird which pretty much does what it says on the tin. Compared to the cream spotted ladybird it is much lighter in colour (and more orange) plus a pale fringe to the shell. I found this particular specimen on a pine tree, it is apparently primarily a woodland species.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera 
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Halyzia
SUBSPECIES: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Ten-Spotted Ladybird (Adalia decempunctata)

OTHER NAMES: Ten-spotted Lady beetle
Latin Etymology: Adalia (?) decempunctata ("ten spotted")

Adult Ten-spotted Ladybird (Adalia decempunctata - unknown subspecies) at Geddington, Northants - May 2011

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 3.5-4.5mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

Although most ladybirds have very much "does what it says on the tin" names, the Ten-spot ladybird is a very misleading name. It's actually an incredibly varied species, which can have anywhere between 0-15 spots, such as the one pictured with it's six. As they are so widely varied it makes any catchall description to identify them tricky.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Adalia
SUBSPECIES: A. d. bipustulata, A. d. decempustulata, A. d. guttatopunctata, A. d. humeralis, A.d. lateripenctata, A. d. lutea, A. d. octopunctata, A. d. quattuorpunctata

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A fairly common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Cream-spot Ladybird (Calvia quatuordecimguttata)

OTHER NAMES: Fourteenspotted Lady beetle, Cream-spotted Ladybug
Latin Etymology: Calvia (?) quatuordecimguttata ("Fourteen spotted")

Adult Cream-spot Ladybird (Calvia quatuordecimguttata) at Geddington, Northants - May 2011

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 3.5-5.5mm 
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

Like many ladybirds, the cream-spot ladybird is very much what it says on the tin - cream spots on a toffee coloured body. It is apparently found in hedgerows and deciduous trees. Less common than the regular yellow and red ladybirds.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Calvia
SUBSPECIES: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Two-spotted Ladybird (Adalia bipunctata)

OTHER NAMES: Two-spotted Ladybug, Two-spotted Lady Beetle
Latin Etymology: Adalia (?) bipunctata ("two-spot")

Adult Two-spotted Ladybird (Adalia bipunctata - unknown subspecies) at Geddington, Northants - May 2011

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 3.5-5.2mm 
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

After the seven spot, the two spotted ladybird is easily the second most commonly encoutnered of the ladybirds - a lot smaller than the 7-spot, it's name tells you all you need to identify it - 2 spots. However, to complicate matters slightly, the melanistic form of this ladybird is quite common (two red spots on a black background) and that can be more easily confused with several other species. However, as the two spot is most common, that is still probably the most likely species.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Adalia
SUBSPECIES: A. b. annulata, A. b. bipunctata, A. b. frigida, A. b. maculata, A. b. revelierei, A. b. sexpustulata

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington and various other sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Fourteen Spotted Ladybird (Propylea 14-punctata)

OTHER NAMES: 14-spotted Ladybird
Latin Etymology: Propylea (?) 14-punctata ("14 spot")

Adult Fourteen Spotted Ladybird (Propylea 14-punctata) at Geddington, Northants - May 2011

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Length: 3.5-4.5mm 
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

A common species, but not necessarily one that will be noticed as much as others due to its small size and less obvious colours. Care should be taken to differentiate it from the similarly sized and coloured 16-spot and 22-spot ladybirds, although the 14-spot does seem to be the most common of the yellow ladybirds.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Propylea
SUBSPECIES: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington and various other sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

OTHER NAMES: Asian Ladybeetle, Halloween Ladybeetle, Multicoloured Asian

Latin Etymology: Harmonia ("Goddess of Harmony") axyridis (?)

Adult Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis - unknown subspecies) at Geddington, Northants - October 2009

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 6-8mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

The Harlequin ladybird is an invasive species currently in the process of establishing itself in the UK. It is hugely variable in appearance - it can be black on red, red on black, orange on black or black on orange with anywhere between 0 and 22 spots on its back. It is potentially threatening native ladybirds by competing for food.  Intriguingly, however the history of this population is a bit more complex - therewere repeated attempts to inroduce it to the US, which all failed until a single wild population near New Orleans became established, and quickly spread across the states, and if is from this population that the species arrived in the UK.  Presumably that population developed some genetic or behavioural adaptation which allowed it to spread in a way the original ones hadn't been able to.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera 
Family: Coccinellidae 
Genus: Harmonia
SUBSPECIES: H. a. aulica, H. a. conspicua, H. a. equicolor, H. a. forma, H. a. frigida, H. a. intermedia, H. a. novemdecimsignata, H. a. siccoma, H. a. spectabilis, H. a. succinea, H. a. transversifascia

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An introduced species that is spreading throughout the UK

 - Seen in Geddington and various other sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Seven-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

OTHER NAMES: Seven-spotted Ladybug
Latin Etymology: Coccinella ("ladybird") septempunctata ("seven spot")

Adult Seven-spotted Ladybird (subspecies C. s. septempunctata) at Geddington, Northants - August 2009

Featured Subspecies: Coccinella septempunctata septempunctata
Length: 7.6-10mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

The seven spot ladybird is the common ladybird of europe and the UK. It is a strong predator of aphids, and as such is quite popular with gardeners. Easily the most readily found and familiar of British ladybirds.  Occasionally, in certain years it may be particularly abundant and found in huge numbers in fairly small locations

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Coccinella
SUBSPECIES: C. s. brucki, C. s. septempunctata

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington and various other sites

Further Information: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Six-Spotted Zigzag Ladybird (Cheilomenes sexmaculata)

OTHER NAMES: Six-spotted Zig Zag Lady Beetle
Latin Etymology: Cheilomenes (?) sexmaculata ("six-spotted")

Adult Six-Spotted Zigzag Ladybird (Cheilomenes sexmaculata) at Prek Toal, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: ?  /  Wingspan: ?
NOT PRESENT IN UK /  IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A very widely distributed ladybird of Asia and Australsia; this was the only ladybird sighted on the trip, and happened to land on me while we were returning to the floating village of Prek Toal.  It's patternation definitely lives up to the somewhat unweildy names - a distinctive looking set of zigzags.  It is one of the most common species of ladybird in it's range.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Cheilomenes
SUBSPECIES: unclear?

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: ?
Widespread resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One at Prek Toal

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Convergent Ladybug (Hippodamia convergens)

OTHER NAMES: Convergent Lady Beetle
Latin Etymology: Hippodamia ("she who masters horses") convergens ("convergent")

Adult Convergent Ladybug (Hippodamia convergens) at San Jose, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ? /  Length: 7.8mm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS/ IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A common ladybird species of North America, the convergent ladybird is a prolific predator of aphid and are so effective at this that they are harvested to be released as biological control for them. They have a longer and more pointed carapace than most of the familiar species of the UK, as well as a while fringe to their abdomen.

Related Species:
Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Hippodamia
SUBSPECIES: ?

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

Found across the Southern and North-Western States
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at San Jose

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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