is this an unusual ladybird?

[quickdrawmcgraw]

pic on profile. It was in my garden today but I've never seen one like it before. It was pretty tiny.

[southeastastra]

omg wasn't expecting it to be so big

[blackrock]

Hi

I ordered a pack of 25 native ladybirds for my greenhouse to swallow the whitefly that were eating the chillipeppers. This was one of the brightly coloured superheroes that arrived in the pack to save my chillis. I guess it is a nativem but I have never before spotted such a creature.

I am not planning on purchasing anything to eat the ladybirds.

[SaintGeorge]

Oh shit shit shit I looked.

[eenybeeny]

love the cartoon thingy on your profile!!! LOL

[SaintGeorge]

I think that might be a harlequin ladybird.

[SaintGeorge]

Can't bear to look again so don't know how many spots it had.

Good check list here for identifying varieties.

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

It does look like a harlequin ladybird. Was it rounder than the native ladybird, which is more oval in shape? There's a website whose name I can't remember which is tracking the harlequin's rampaging progress across the UK.

[LovelyDear]

is the survey.I keep seeing the larvae everywhere - realy odd. like dr who creatures in minature

[mymblemummy]

I think it might be a harlequin too. Apparently, they tend to have more black on them. Is it eating the other ladybirds?

[MsPontipine]

Nice to see your picture - me and ds once saw a black one with red spots too - we were so absolutely amazed we still talk about it!

We had a swarm of ladybirds come down once - it was in the 70s they absolutely filled the sky and covered everything in the garden for a few hours - it was freaky!!

[quickdrawmcgraw]

yes it seems to be a harliquin judging from the links. thanks for those. I don't know if it's eating any other because I've only ever seen this one. We have LOTS of ladybirds around this year.