April 24, 2008
Ladybirds galore in the Brecks (and a few birds too)
Yesterday we had a lab field trip on ladybird identification to the Brecks. In spite of the cold, rainy weather, beating the Scots pines was very productive and by the end of the day we had a logged very respectable 13 of the 26 large, conspicuous ladybird species found in the UK, plus these tiny Scymnus, one of the 20 smaller coccinellids.
One of the first ladybirds to fall from the trees was our largest species, the Eyed.
Here it is dwarfing an Orange and a Cream-streaked.
The Cream-streaked comes in two morphs, a 16-spotted form and one with 4 side-spots.
Face-to-face with an Orange ladybird
Pine ladybird was the most numerous catch of the day.
I almost missed this melanic form of the 10-spot hiding in their midst.
The Striped ladybird is interesting for having warning coloration to deter predators against most backgrounds...
... while being extremely cryptic in others (the lower 'bud' is, in fact, a Striped).
Here's the exotic Harlequin doing a less good job of blending in.
Among the less regularly seen species were this Larch ladybird...
... and the treetop-dwelling 18-spot.
Of course, I managed to squeeze in a little Breckland birding. A few Woodlark were singing in the stratosphere, but fortunately the Tree Pipits were more obliging.
Here's one performing its amazing parachuting display-flight.
A couple of Stone Curlews were lurking in a sheep-field - always a fun species to see.
Back at the field station, the weather had brightened up, and love was in the air for these mildew-feeding 22-spots and 2-spots.
The ladybird line-up was completed with one each of 7-spot and 14-spot.
13 down, 13 more species to go!
Posted by rjhall at April 24, 2008 9:46 PM