My ladybird year

2023 was my first year of ladybird spotting.  It has been fascinating to learn how, where and when to find them and to be able to track down a few rarities, including 5-spot Ladybird and 11-spot Ladybird.  The picture above shows the 24 species I have seen so far, listed in taxonomic order as in Helen Roy's book.  In the same order, they are:

Heather Ladybird.  Rare but I have come across a few, including one on a gravestone, miles from the nearest heather.

Kidney-spot Ladybird.  They seem to like young ash trees and can be found not far from here.

Pine Ladybird.  Small, widespread and often not on a pine tree.  Even on apple trees in my mother's garden.

Orange Ladybird.  Quite distinctive and found in woodland and on garden trees like mine.

22-spot Ladybird.  Also easily recognised.  This one feeds on mildew.

Water Ladybird.  Previously thought to be rare in the North until people started looking.  Now it turns up in reed beds everywhere.  Very small.

Adonis Ladybird.  Another rarity.  Small but distinctive.

Larch Ladybird.  I have yet to find one in a larch tree but have seen lots in pine trees.

2-spot Ladybird.  Despite its name this one is quite variable and comes in two, four and six spot variants (the last two red on black) as well as some others that I have yet to see.

10-spot Ladybird.  A deciduous tree specialist and our most variable ladybird.  Here are some of the variations I have seen so far.  You can click on the photo for a larger view.

5-spot Ladybird.  Very rare but I was pleased to track down this one in Scotland.

7-spot Ladybird.  The ladybird of Ladybird Books and childrens' stories. 

11-spot Ladybird.  Rare.  This one was on a post at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.

Harlequin Ladybird.  Non-native but already our most numerous and widespread ladybird.  Very variable in size and appearance.

Cream-streaked Ladybird.  A conifer specialist, particularly fond of Scots pine.

14-spot Ladybird.  Common in gardens.  Very mobile and difficult to photograph.

Eyed Ladybird. The largest UK species and a beauty.

18-spot Ladybird.  A pine specialist found at the end of my road.

Cream-spot Ladybird.  Common in deciduous woodland, and on gravestones in winter.

Striped Ladybird.  Another pine specialist also found at the end of my road.

24-spot Ladybird.  A vegetarian and very small.  Very local in the north.

Red Marsh Ladybird.  Like the next two, this is one of the "inconspicuous ladybirds", all very small.   It is found in wetlands or dune grasses.

Meadow Ladybird.  A grassland specialist, this one was in my meadow.

Pine Scymnus.   I have found only two so far, both swept from pine trees.

There are more to find next year, but most are farther south.  I’ll be on the lookout.