| British ladybirds over-winter as
adults in relatively warm and dry places: cracks in bark,
under leaf-litter, in garages or under window sills. They
emerge in spring, and find a mate. Copulation may be
prolonged as males try to exclude their rivals. |
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Eggs are laid in sheltered places. Sometimes these are
laid in large clusters (such as the yellow egg masses of
the 7-spot) but sometimes in rows or singly. |
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| After a few weeks, small larvae emerge from the eggs.
These eat voraciously (much more than adults do) and
grow. This is a 7-spot larva feeding on aphids on
mugwort. |
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Larvae of the various species of ladybird are usually fairly distinct. This is (probably) a Pine (the
Kidney-spot has a similar structure).
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After feeding larvae attach
themselves to some vegetation by their hind ends then
contract into something of a dome shape.
This is a 7-spot pre-pupa. |
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The pre-pupa hardens and becomes an inert pupa but,
inside, their tissues are reorganising themselves -
metamorphosis. |
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| The pupae of Pine and Kidney-spot ladybirds differ in
pupal formation: the dried 'skin' of the larva splits
longitudinally to encase the metamorphosing pupa.. When the kidney-spot
first splits, the inside is bright red. |
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After some weeks, during which metamorphosis occurs
within the pupa, an imago will emerge. |
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| The remnants (exuvia) of the pupal coat remain
attached to the plant surface and sometimes may be
recognisable. This is from a 2-spot! |
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Individuals which have just emerged
have no pattern: they are mainly a weak yellowish colour
which gradually darkens before the 'adult' pattern is
clear. These are immature2-spots.
10-spots are much slower to gain their full colour
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| Pupae are unable to escape from
predators and have little in the way of defence
mechanisms. They are often eaten by bugs or spiders. This
specimen has a hole which is too small for ladybird
emergence and was possibly caused by insertion of the mouthparts of a bug. |
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Parasites often emerge from small holes in pupae. Of
course, not all larvae or pupae complete their
metamorphosis. This larva/pre-pupa has clearly failed to
mature. |
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All ladybirds (coccinellids) overwinter as adults
(imagines) although the Orange ladybird may survive as pupae.
They choose sites which offer shelter from cold and, especially,
wet. In nature this may be in leaf litter or under hedges:
suitable sites may contain hundreds of ladybirds, often of more
than one species. Ladybirds of coniferous trees may huddle down
amongst needles in the canopy. The Pine and Kidney-spot ladybirds
may take minimal shelter in the cracks of barks on the southern
or eastern sides of tree trunks.
Many species seek shelter in human constructions: garden sheds,
nesting boxes or Leylandii hedges. Many will enter
houses and attempt to overwinter in cold bedrooms or garages; the
2-spot and (especially in east Essex) 11-spot may do this in
large numbers. NOTE:
if you find any, it would be better to put them outside in a
shltered position - most die from lack of food, desiccation or
over-heating.
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16-spot ladybirds are
seen in very large aggregations in autumn. They often
accumulate on the northern sides of fences etc.
so the behaviour is not to avoid cold.
Photograph © Ian Menzies |
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However, even on warm
days in the spring, they are often seen together in small
groups. |
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Orange ladybirds form large aggregations both before
and after winter. In Epping Forest they have hibernated
in beech mast on the ground. |
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Many ladybirds aggregate in growing tips of tree
branches where aphids are feeding on new growth. Some
stay amongst the leaves of evergreens through th winter.
There were many 7-spots around the tips of an Araucaria
(monkey puzzle) tree. |
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Pine and Kidney-spot
ladybirds seek minimal shelter even during the hardest of
winters. Some merely using the shelter of bark crevices
on the sunnier sides of trees. |
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In summer, ladybirds will
'disappear' if the sky clouds over or rain falls,
sheltering under foliage. They will seek better shelter
during cold nights, sometimes in unexpected places. This
Kidney-spot sheltered under the knots of barbed wire.
Other Kidney-spots and a 7-spot were doing the same thing
along wire. |