I was on a dragonfly and damselfly quest last Sunday afternoon when my attention was diverted by this ladybird. It was so tiny that I needed the magnification provided by the lens of my camera to convince me that it really was a ladybird.
I have seen a lot of ladybirds over the years and have submitted many sightings to the UK Ladybird Survey, but I believe this beige and black 16-spot (Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata) was a first of its kind for me. It often eats pollen and favours damp grassy landscapes. It is not averse to aphids.
This is just a quick post, but it would be fun at some point to gather my photos of the different species I have encountered.
There have been very few ladybirds in evidence in my neck of the woods this year. It would be interesting to know if you have had more sightings ...
1 comment:
Hi Caroline, I've never seen that species of ladybird! This year, I've mostly seen very few insects of any kinds apart from 2 and 7 spot ladybirds and in the last week or so, damselflies!
Our hotel in Dumfries and Galloway is right next door to Ellisland Farm, which you mentioned in your comment on my blog
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