Pinus mugo Turra
(Two varieties: mugo, eastern and uncinata, western)

Dwarf mountain pine

This shrub is a native of the mountains around the Mediterranean basin. It has been widely planted in parks and gardens throughout northern Europe and America  Like most pines it is host to many phytophagous species such as the pine sawfly. It also hosts adelgids - woolly aphids which are eaten by several species of ladybird. Thus the interest on this site!
 

All pine (Pinus) species have their attractions including our native P. sylvestris.

Ladybirds on pines include the eyed, striped, cream-streaked and 18-spots.
They are often quite numerous but are not very commonly observed since tend to stay up in the foliage at the tops of trees. 

Impressive, even beautiful things they may be, but only the most dedicated entomologist would be willing or able to climb a mature pine tree (right).  

 

Pinus mugo has the advantage  that it is seldom over 2m tall and the non-athlete can examine branch tips with ease.  This shrub in Sheffield bore five species during 2004 - the best ladybird plant in the garden.  This included the conifer specialist eighteen-spot and cream-streaked ladybirds as well as more generalist species.

The most numerous ladybird was the cream-streaked ladybird Harmonia quadripunctata.  The sixteen-spotted form (left) is hardly cryptic against pine needles although perhaps more so against developing cones and branch tips (right)? In sunlight, the spotless form (below far right) seems to fit in better? However, the larvae and pupae (below and below left) seem to blend much better with their environment.

This year (2005) merely a seven-spot has been seen from early September. Not moving and clearly visible - presumably it is just seeking shelter from the weather under a developing cone. Will it stay there all winter - the protection is not great?  





 



 



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CREATED 8x2004
LAST MODIFIED 24/9/2005