finds but Jerry Bowdrey and Nigel Cuming have found considerable numbers of all life-
stages other than eggs in the Colchester area.
The multiple findings have been of a "new" ladybirds, mainly on Sycamore or other
trees. These may be the second generation of individuals that flew from Europe earlier
in the year. However, there have been migrants by other routes: a pupa was found on cut
flowers in a supermarket in Newmarket and the earliest of all records (3rd July) was of a
larva found by Tony Irwin (see front cover) in Norwich "running (in a manic fashion)
around the rim of a flowerpot". The ladybird has a propensity to enter homes for the
winter: Jerry Bowdrey has already found one in his home in a spider's web. A map of
records to date is shown below. My thanks to Michael Majerus, Jerry Bowdrey and all
other reporters for their records and for other information.
Records in our area to date for Harmonia axyridis
It is important that we continue
to look out for this beetle. It is
not possible to illustrate all the
forms of H. axyridis (it is likely
to be found in mixed groups). It
may be red with between 0 and
19 black spots (small or large) but
is commonly melanic, black with
variable numbers of red spots.
However, pattern is not too
important since it is a relatively
large species (7mms +), is
somewhat rounded, with brown
legs. It has a triangular white
marking on the head and the sides
of the forebody are always
extensively white (in contrast to the related cream-spot ladybird which has a 'spotty'
pronotum). The only British red-black ladybirds of this size are the 7-spot and Eyed ladybirds
which both have black legs. Melanic variant native ladybirds of this size are extremely
rare. I have a web page, which is regularly up-dated at: www.ladybird-
survey.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/H_axyridis.htm
Finally, the effect of this beetle is so far only conjecture. To know what, if any, effect it
is having on our native species, we need to monitor these. Please send me all ladybird
records for our on-going survey! If you encounter any large black-red ladybirds which
seem not to be 7-spot or eyed ladybirds, please send them all (dead or alive) to J. Bowdrey,
Curator of Natural History, Colchester Museums, 14 Ryegate Road, Colchester, Essex
CO1 1YG (Tel: 01206 282936) or Paul Mabbott, 49 Endowood Road, Sheffield S7
2LY (paulmabbott@blueyonder.co.uk) or Michael Majerus, Department of Genetics,
University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH or to any other entomologist!
18
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 46, January 2005