Invasion of the Harlequin Ladybirds
Some time ago, it made the UK news that Harlequin Ladybirds were on the invade. Hot summers and the spread of warm human homes didn’t help—back in t’ day these beetles would have settled for a cave or similar.
But here we are with a lot more easy options for them to nest, especially nicely sheltered cracks in window frames. They didn’t even come to the UK prior to 2004, which would explain why folks like me don’t remember them as a kid.
I found this little friend already expired on my windowsill. It probably crawled in after hibernation and couldn’t find a way back out again. Naturally, just like any normal person would, I got my iPhone macro lens out and did my best to get a few good shots. As you can probably see, it had already picked up some schmutz from the floor—there were carpet fibres trapped in its legs that I tried to tweeze away, but to no success. Perhaps that also contributed to its lack of survival.
Curious about why insects look like they’re “praying” when they go? Sure, let’s just call it their kind of rigamortis. Most science type folks discussing the question put it down to the insect drying up, which causes the legs to naturally fold in.
Dramatic note: They’re cannibals! Whilst they naturally enjoy eating aphids, akin to our native British ladybirds, they’re pretty partial to larvae and will absolutely eat each other in times of need. This means smaller relatives, like the two-spot or seven-spot, might not fare so well.
