Killer ladybirds are spotted...

Oct 30 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

A GARDENER from Wirral has made the area’s first confirmed sighting of an invading ladybird species which is killing off domestic insects.

The harlequin ladybird is originally from Asia but in recent years has spread to the UK and has been working its way north from the south east.

It has been described as the grey squirrel of the ladybird family because of concerns amongst ecologists that the voracious species could wipe out the domestic variety.

Jon Britton, owner of Botanica Garden Maintenance which covers much of Cheshire and Wirral, said he had found the unwanted guest in his works van.

He said: “Straight away we knew we were looking at something a bit out of the ordinary. We get a lot of ladybirds in the van, probably from the bags of garden rubbish,” he said.

“I’ve read about harlequin ladybirds a few times, but I didn’t realise they came this far north.”

He immediately checked out the ladybird on the internet where he found the Harlequin Ladybird Survey, which is partly funded by Defra and the Natural Environment Research Council.

Mr Britton said: “I filled out the form and the sighting was given a reference number, and then I posted it to the researchers in Cambridge for confirmation.”

According to the Harlequin Ladybird Survey the Harmonia axyridis, as it is known, is “the most invasive ladybird on Earth”.

It was introduced to North America in 1988 and has since become the most widespread ladybird on that continent.

Last night Paul Cook, curator of the major visitor attraction Ness Gardens, said the prospect of the harlequin reaching Wirral and the rest of the North West was of “great concern”.

He said: “It spreads very quickly. It’s important to us to see what effect it has. I don’t think there is anything we can practically do to stop it.

“But the more the public are aware of it and look out for it and it will allow us to see how it spreads and what impact it is having.”

Those behind the harlequin survey, which is led by researchers from Cambridge University, say there are 46 species of ladybird resident in Britain and the recent arrival of the harlequin ladybird has the potential to jeopardise the future of many of them.

The harlequin was first spotted in Britain in late 2004 and was mainly confined to the South East but, once established, experts had predicted it would spread.

The survey, which was launched at the Natural History Museum in spring 2005, has since tracked the insect’s spread across the country, and Dr Michael Majerus of Cambridge University said: “The harlequin is a deadly threat to our own British ladybirds. We need to monitor them closely in order to assess the spread and impact of the insect.”

Over the last two years sightings have spread northwards to southern and eastern Cheshire and even Formby.

The harlequin ladybird is considered such a threat because it has a huge appetite for greenfly, leaving little for the native species who then starve.

But, even worse, the harlequin will turn on other ladybirds if food becomes scarce, as well as preying on other types of insects – and even being keen on soft fruit, particularly pears.

liammurphy

A major threat from voracious predator

ACCORDING to The Harlequin Ladybird Survey, there are 46 species of ladybird found in Britain, and the harlequin could jeopardise the long-term survival of many.

The survey was set up to monitor the spread of the species across Britain and assess its impact on the native insects.

The Natural History Museum says harlequins are an extremely voracious predator and out-compete native ladybirds for its preferred food of greenfly and other insects.

But worse – when these food sources are scarce they will then prey on native ladybirds.