Ladybirds (Coccinellidae). North American: ladybugs. Scientist increasingly prefer: lady(bird) beetles.
In the Netherlands there are sixty species. (Different from
colour, size and spots)Worldwide
5000 species. The Seven-spot ladybird is the most common native ladybird.
In danger they are able to reflex-bleed. From the leg joints they
release an orange yellow oily toxin with a
strong repellent smell. (hemolymph
or insect bleed)It is
a little predator. Both the larva and the ladybird itself feed on
aphids and insects larvae. There are also species, which feed on
mildew and even scale insects. In wintertime ladybirds hibernate, often in large groupsin sheltered places. The eggs are laid on or under the leaves. The larval period lasts about
three weeks.
Mostpeople
don't love many insects, but
loveladybugs.This is
reflected inthe
name.Whichoften hasto dowith
religion.Germanic:Freyafugle(Bird
of the goddess
Freya).TheGerman
namehas
an association with
the nameMary
in Marienkäfer.TheEnglish nameisaLady Bird.
Lady: Mary. Birdlike
theGermanic"Fugle".The Frenchname iscoccinelle,butitwasalsonamedBęteābon
Dieu, like
the Dutch name "Lieveheersbeestje". Both names mean
"Our Lord's animal" (informationfromwikipedia) You can
recognizethe
ladybirds from
manyother
beetles,becausetheyhave
the form ofhalfball.But there are also similar beetle species.
Ladybird eggs are stuck in clusters
under leaves.
On this photo it is a bamboo leaf. I'm not sure what kind of
ladybird has layed this eggs. There were many Asian ladybirds. But a Seven-spot ladybird is also possible.
It was a good spot, for there were many aphids on the bamboo leaves.
Subfamily Chilocorinae.
Pine ladybird
(Exochomus quadripustulatus - Brumus quadripustulatus). Genus Exochomus -
Brumus. Subfamily Chilocorinae. Family Ladybirds, ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
Almost
entirely black. Only on each black elytron are two red spots. The front spot looks like a comma.It is a small, round ladybird with a
pronounced rim around the edge of the wing cases. This ladybird is common, when pines are
around. I find it often on the spindles. In 2011 I saw a lava (almost pupa) and a pupa of a pine ladybird..
They feed on scale insects and aphids.
Length 3 - 5 mm. Europe, Asia.
Ten-spotted ladybird,
ten-spotted lady beetle (Adalia decempunctata) Subfamily
Coccinellinae. Family Ladybirds,
ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
This ladybird is to recognize by the spots pattern on the pronotum, a "track" on the femur and
the short transverse elytral ridge. But the Asian ladybug has the same transverse elytral ridge. It is even more
difficult to find the right species, because both species are variable in
pattern and colour. In real it is easy, because the ten-spotted ladybird
is much smaller. From a photograph it's often difficult to see the
differences. Both species have brown orange legs and antennae.
Length: 3,5 - 5 mm. Adult and larva feed on aphids.
April - October.
Europe en Asia.
Photo 28-03-2012. German:
Zehnpunkt-Marienkäfer.
Two-spot ladybird, Two-spotted ladybug
(Adalia bipunctata) Genus Adalia. Subfamily Coccinellinae. Family Ladybirds,
ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
A very common, easily recognizable ladybug. Only the dots are
sometimes so big, that the beetle is black with red spots. Then it is more
difficult to recognize it. The legs are black
Length: 3,5 - 5,5 mm. Adult and larva feed on aphids.
Europe, Asia, North America.
Photos
28-9-2008
German: Zweipunkt Fichten-Marienkäfer
French: Coccinelle ā 2 point
Cream-spot ladybird (Calvia quatuordecimguttata)
Genus Calvia. Subfamily Coccinellinae. Family Ladybirds,
ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
On the elytra it has 14 white spots. Always on the same place.
This beetle is found mainly in deciduous trees but also on plants.
Adult and larva feed on aphids but also jumping plant lice.
Length 5 - 6,5 mm.
Seven-spot ladybird, Seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata) Genus
Coccinella. Subfamily Coccinellinae. Family Ladybirds, ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
In the
Netherlands the most common ladybird. A red
beetle, punctuated with three black spots on each
elytron (is a modified, hardened forewing) , with one further spot being
spread over the two elytra, making a total of seven spots.
Thepronotumis
blackwithawhite
spoton the
side.
Adult and larva feed on aphids. Length 6 - 8 mm . Europe, Asia,
North-America. They are introduced to North America
to reduce aphid numbers.
Orange ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata) Genus Halyzia. Subfamily
Coccinellinae. Family Ladybirds, ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
An
orange ladybird with 16 creamy-white
coloured spots (sometimes 14 spots). The head and legs are
also orange. The eyes are black.Its elytra and pronotum (the hardened plate that protects its thorax and
head) are almost transparent around the rim. Frequently
found around maples and ashes
Length: 6-9 mm.
Adult and larva feed
on mildew in stead of aphids.
April - October.
Palearctic.
Photo 21-4-2008 Photo
2-6-2007 and 7-7-2007. German: Sechzehnfleckiger Pilz-Marienkäfer
French: Grande Coccinelle orange
Orange Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata) larva and pupa.
On 30
September 2007 I saw this larva on an Euphorbiatriangularis. I did not
expect a nymph of an orange ladybird on this time and on this plant.
The photos of
the pupa have been taken on 5
October. Two days before it was still a larva. Like the larvae of the 22 spot ladybird the larvae are yellow
Cream-streaked ladybird (Harmonia
quadripunctata). Genus Harmonia. Subfamily Coccinellinae. Family Ladybirds,
ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
A variable ladybird. Features: No spots or up to
sixteen. The spots are always at the same place. 1 spot on the front side, 2 x 3
spots and again 1. This Cream-streaked ladybird has clearly visible
spots. But the spots can be much smaller or light brown. The beetle can be both red and yellow.
The red beetles usually have yellow stripes lengthwise. The pronotum has a
striking black speckled pattern.
The ladybird in this picture is very recognizable. But such large dark spots and
such an orange-yellow colour is not very common. Here is a
link to more pictures.
This is the first Cream-streaked ladybird, I found in the garden.
Fourteen-spot ladybird, Fourteen spotted ladybug
(Propylea quatuordecimpunctata) Genus Propylea. Subfamily Coccinellinae.
Family Ladybirds, ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
This is a small
variable yellow ladybird with
an checkerboard pattern. The fourteen black squarish spots on the elytra
can bee separate. But often
several of the spots are fused into larger markings.
Adult and larva feed
on aphids.
Length about 4 mm. Europe, Asia, North America.
22 spot ladybird (Psyllobora
vigintiduopunctata) Genus Psyllobora. Subfamily Coccinellinae. Family Ladybirds,
ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
A small bright yellow
ladybird with 22 black spotson the
elytra.
The pronotum of the
male seems to be lighter.
Length: 3 - 4,5 mm. April - September.
Adult and larva feed
on mildew. The larva are bright yellow too.
Europe , North-Africa and Asia.
Harlequin ladybird, Multicoloured Asian ladybird, Asian lady beetle,
Japanese ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) Genus Harmonia. Subfamily Coccinellinae.
Family Ladybirds, ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
Harlequin ladybird, Multicoloured Asian ladybird, Asian lady beetle,
Japanese ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) isn't a native ladybird in Europe.
This insect is native to northeastern Asia and has
been introduced In Europe and America to control
agricultural pests. But now it is spreading rapidly throughout the
United States and Europe. Asian lady beetle
has a black mark on the pronotum that looks like an"M".
( not always visible) Theres a wide variation in background colour and
number of spots.
The elytra usually display a wide transverse
"keel" at the apex.
They have all kinds of colours and several numbers of dots. They have pale brown legs. Just like the other ladybirds they
hibernate in clusters.
Length: 5 - 8 mm. May - November
12 May 2007 I saw the first Multicoloured Asian ladybird(Harmonia
axyridis) in the garden. Now it is the most common ladybird.
In 2003 the first Asian ladybirds were found in the Netherlands. In 2004 in
Belgium and England.
Harlequin ladybird, Multicoloured Asian ladybird, Asian lady beetle,
Japanese ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) Genus
Harmonia. Subfamily Coccinellinae.
Family Ladybirds, ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
Variation in colour:Harmonia axyridis f. succinea orange/red with
0-19 black spots. The most of my "Asians" belong to this
variation in colour.
Harlequin ladybird, Multicoloured Asian ladybird, Asian lady beetle,
Japanese ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) Genus Harmonia. Subfamily Coccinellinae.
Family Ladybirds, ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
Variation in colour: Harmonia
axyridis f. conspicua black with two
spots.
Photo 20-05-2007
Harlequin ladybird, Multicoloured Asian ladybird, Asian lady beetle,
Japanese ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) Genus Harmonia. Subfamily Coccinellinae.
Family Ladybirds, ladybugs (Coccinellidae).
Variation in colour: Harmonia axyridis f. spectabilis
black with four spots.
Photos 5-11-2010 and 9-4-2009
The first Asian ladybird on the photo to the right has only six dots. The black mark on the pronotum
don't looks like an"M". The patron is similar to the Ten-Spot Ladybird Beetle
(Adalia decempunctata) Like the Asian ladybird it has a wide transverse
"keel" at the apex. The Ten-Spot
Ladybird Beetle is smaller (3,5 - 5 mm)
The second Asian ladybird has no dots. Maybe because it is very young.
Photos 16-6-2009 and 8-7-2009.
Dark Multicoloured Asian ladybirds(Harmonia
axyridis)
These photos were taken in November 2007. Multicoloured Asian
ladybirds lay eggs until late in the year. Later than the other species. The beetles, which
pupate are darker then.
Probably because it takes longer to emerge. (Because it gets colder, darker, moister) The last
beetle was deformed.
Multicoloured Asian ladybirds(Harmonia
axyridis). Larvae and pupa. Photos 2007.
The larvae are black / blue-gray. Orange L-shaped spot on each side withe 4 orange spines. They
are voracious predators. If there are too few aphids, they are also eat larvae of other ladybirds. The doll can be recognized by the white
pines at the end of the flayed skin.
In 2007 I saw the first Harmonia axyridis. I saw many. In the middle picture, I had
shaken a branch of plum tree. The right picture is of a doll on a plum.
Variegated Lady beetle (Hippodamia
variegata) Family
ladybirds / ladybugs (Coccinellidae). Subfamilie typical ladybirds (Coccinellinae)
The edge around the neck shield is white. Usually there is white next to the
black dot in the middle of the elytra.
It is also found in the Netherlands, but I haven't seen it.
Native in Europe. Introduced into North America.
Length 4 - 5 mm.
They feed on aphids and larvae of leaf beetles. This ladybird
also lives in the Netherlands. But unfortunately not in our garden. The
spots at the rear and of the elytra can be small. Then they are more difficult to recognize.
Length 3.5 - 5 mm.
Nederlands /
Dutch
