Hello Everyone,
Welcome to this week's animal of the week post. This time about the ladybird,
and personally I can't wait to find out more about these creatures. Enjoy!
Which ladybird we are investigating today?
Today, I am telling you about the seven-spotted ladybird (Coccinella
septempunctata), which is the most common ladybird in Europe. Other species
include the Two Spot Ladybird and other uncommon ladybirds such as the 16 Spot
and other peculiar types.
Habitat
The seven-spotted ladybird lives in a variety of habitats such as meadows,
gardens and hedgerows. They can also be found on farmland, especially with
crops such as alfalfa, clover and wheat and corn before it grows too tall.
Diet
The seven-spotted ladybird feeds on a range of aphid species. This is why they
are often referred to as a gardener's best friend as they eat these creatures
who can damage plants. They can also eat white flies and anything else that is
soft-bodied.
Larvae
The seven-spotted ladybird's larvae are, let's just say, very different to the
adult version! As they hatch at different times, it is common for them to eat
their siblings! They also resemble some sort of rather ugly creature!
Are they endangered?
No, the seven-spotted ladybird isn't endangered. However, we have got other
species that aren't native to the UK such as the Harlequin ladybird and
several other Asian species in particular. These have been thought to eat our
native seven-spotted ladybirds and steal their habitat and food, which could
put them in danger although not for a while as they are so widespread.
Something else which can be a threat is when farmers bring in their crops, as
ladybirds like to live there. This can kill unsuspecting creatures as they
pass through machinery. Someone calculated that for one hectare of land,
between 20,000 and 120, 000 ladybirds could be killed. This doesn't impact the
population hugely though as there are so many of them.
Ladybird or Ladybug?
I just want to clarify that both ladybird and ladybug refer to a Coccinellidae
beetle. In North America, it is commonly called the ladybug or Lady beetle.
However, the British English word is Ladybird.
I hope you have enjoyed learning about the seven-spotted ladybird in this animal of the week. Please remember to subscribe with your email if you haven't already to make sure you get the latest updates. Thank you!
Images:
Ladybird on green leaves:
This image
is owned by
Lisa Fotios on pexels.com.
Sources:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/beetles/7-spot-ladybird/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinella_septempunctata
Sources:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/beetles/7-spot-ladybird/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinella_septempunctata
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