I have been up to Scotland for a few days (more on that soon) and on the way I stopped to look for a rare ladybird - the 5-spot Ladybird (Coccinella quinquepunctata). It is found only on unstable river shingle in North-East Scotland and a few places in Wales. According to the book the 5-spot can be found in the shingle or within a few metres in nearby nettles, thistles, docks etc. I travelled up at the end of Storm Babet when the rivers were in spate, so the edge of the water wasn't where it had been a few days before. I had also heard that nearby pine trees were worth a look. Most records on iRecord seemed to be a fair distance from the nearest road and I didn't have much time to spare so I searched on the map and on Google Streetview for somewhere there would be riverside Scots pines near where I could park the car. I settled on Blair Atholl, downstream from the Bridge of Tilt at the back of the museum car park. And would you believe it? Within 15 minutes I had found a 5-spot ladybird in a pine tree.
After a few photos I put it back in the tree and went on my way. The 5-spot Ladybird's very restricted distribution in the UK is odd because it is apparently fairly common and widespread on the Continent where it can be seen in car parks and on brownfield sites. I also am intrigued by how it copes with floods. I checked a couple of weeks before and the River Spey (the 5-spot Ladybird hotspot) rose over 3m (10') in a few hours. I suppose ladybirds can fly to escape the rising water, but what about their larvae? They must also be able to cope somehow, otherwise they would be wiped out by floods every summer.
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