We took a walk on the magnificent heath at Dunwich on the Suffolk coast (just above Minsmere) this afternoon, and I remembered that I had still to post a photo of a ladybird I saw there on my last visit, about a month ago, back in June.
The insect was quite large, about the size you would expect for a Harlequin, but (unless I am completely mistaken) this was no Harlequin. It was a Striped Ladybird, a variety I do not recall having seen before. It feeds on brown aphids of the genus Cinara, which frequent pine trees, particularly Scots Pine.
This ladybird was crawling over a wooden bench, as you can see. I seem to recall that there were some pine trees in the vicinity, but I do not think that they were Scots Pine (which I have seen in Scotland, along the shore of places like Loch Maree).
