A loveliness of ladybirds

 

A loveliness of ladybirds

Ladybird windmill

Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home,

Your house is on fire and your children are gone,

All except one and her name is Ann,

And she has crept under the frying pan.

Seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

Look carefully and you can see a reflection of our house in the beetle's shiny wing case - apex of roof at middle spot!

Every summer, ladybirds (Coccinellidae) from Europe visit UK shores, to swell resident populations. This year there has been a veritable invasion. The last significant incursion was in 2009, when hot weather caused a glut in the numbers of aphids and a consequent rise in the ladybird populace.

However, the present invasion is akin to the astonishing 1976 influx, and even caused a pause in the cricket. ‘Ladybirds stopped play’ is not something we’re accustomed to hearing. The cricketers on Day One of the Third Test match between India and England at Lord’s cricket ground, were not impressed when a loveliness of ladybirds invaded the pitch. Play was stopped for seven overs (an over is a set of six bowled balls) towards the end of the day’s play. Bear in mind that ladybirds bite. Their bites may be minor, but can be irritating. Several attacking at once might not be very pleasant.

In spells of hot weather, insects regenerate more quickly. Ladybirds are to be encouraged and welcomed, as they are rapacious predators, particularly of aphids, mites, and scale insects. Each ladybird larva can consume around 350 aphids daily, so they are valuable visitors to gardens and farms.

Ladybirds are known as an umbrella species because their presence or absence indicates the health of the overall ecosystem. They are also an important part of the food chain, providing sustenance for birds, arachnids, and amphibians.

They are not primarily pollinators, though they will feed on pollen and nectar. In particular, they like flowers such as yarrow, marigolds, and nasturtiums. They are also attracted to herbs including thyme, parsley, and fennel.

                                    Harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) 

            This is one of the less strkingly-coloured and patterned Harlequins.

Since 2004, invasive Harlequin (Harmonia axyridis) ladybirds have become a threat to native ladybirds. Harlequins are bigger, eat more aphids more quickly, and reproduce quicker than native ladybirds. They also eat the eggs and larvae of ladybirds, moths, and butterflies, thus upsetting the natural balance in Nature.

They come in many patterns and are attractive creatures. It is to be hoped that the two species – native and invasive – can eventually cohabit. It is probably a vain hope.

ABC Wednesday Z is for . . .

Zéphirine Drouhin

This beautiful old Bourbon rose is a constant reminder of my parents. It was one of their favourite roses and they gave Barry and me our first plant.

It is a good rose for beginners as it is easy to grow, is virtually thornless and has a sweet, mouth-watering fragrance. It will also grow in poor soils. It likes to climb but is not rampant, not growing much beyond 10’. Since its introduction in 1868 it has become a firm favourite both with ‘proper’ gardeners and those who dabble. It’s a rewarding rose and when it’s regularly dead-headed will flower continuously until November. It’s fully hardy so needs no special winter coddling. It is prone to mildew unless there is plenty of air circulating around it and is also a favourite with aphids – what isn’t?

The last photo could be called ‘The A-Z of Gardening’ – Aphids on Zéphirine Drouhin.

Zonal pelargonium  (Pelargonium x hortorum)

The Free Dictionary gives this definition: zonal pelargonium - an upright geranium having scalloped leaves with a broad colour zone inside the margin and white or pink or red flowers.

Pelargoniums are often erroneously called geraniums. Geraniums are hardy, herbaceous perennials. Pelargoniums are evergreen perennials native to southern Africa and are tolerant of heat and drought. In temperate climates they are grown as tender annuals, a favourite in summer gardens.

To see more Zs please click here.

I Saw Sunday Week 48 Ladybird, ladybird

You can see our house reflected in her wing casing

Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home,

Your house is on fire and your  children are gone, 

All except one and that's little Ann,

And she has crept under the warming pan.

I saw a ladybird in the garden today but I didn't set her on my finger and recite this verse to her. I wanted her to feast until fit to bust on the aphids. 

She was a 7-spot ladybird, one of  the commonest of all the ladybirds.It's unlucky to kill a ladybird, not that I would ever want to. Who could wish ill to this delightful creature?

See what other people saw on Sunday here

ABC Wednesday V is for Vermin or ‘Who’d be an aphid?’

Definition from Chambers:
vermin
singular or plural noun
1 a collective name for wild animals that spread disease or generally cause a nuisance, especially rats and other rodents. 2 detestable people. verminous
adj1 like vermin; parasitic; vile. 2 infested with vermin.
ETYMOLOGY:
14c: from Latin vermis worm.
I have stretched the definition and taken the phrase 'generally cause a nuisance' to apply to aphids. The usual colour is green and in Britain they are called greenfly, which sounds quite attractive; they can also be black (blackfly) brown or even pink. In other countries they are known as plant lice, which definitely sounds repulsive. Whatever their nomenclature, they are universally acknowledged as some of the most destructive insects attacking cultivated plants in temperate climes.

It's rare to see just one greenfly! Where are its friends and relations?

They are very successful organisms and have been in existence for about 280 million years. They are preyed on by many enemies, including birds, ladybirds, parasitic wasps, lacewings and even some parasitic fungi.

There they are! All shapes and sizes and moulted skins too - delightful! 

There is a strange relationship between some ant species and aphids. The ants are said to 'farm' the aphids. They protect their 'ant cows' on the plant food, fighting off predators, and eating the honeydew they produce. These 'dairy farmer' ants have been observed stroking the aphids with their antennae to stimulate them to release honeydew.

Blackfly on a dock leaf stem. Safety in numbers?

 

Here is Farmer Ant with his herd. One of the aphids has wings, maybe preparing to fly to another feeding station.

Some species of ants collect and store aphid eggs in their nests through the winter, carrying newly-hatched young back to the plants in the spring.Aphids produce many generations each year. In March eggs that were laid the previous October hatch into wingless females. No males are hatched. As the female nymphs grow they moult several times. Once they reach maturity they give birth to live daughters without recourse to fertilisation, a process known as parthenogenesis or asexual reproduction. The new generation of females grows quickly and reproduces asexually but some of the daughters will develop wings and fly to new food plants. The pattern repeats throughout the summer, with winged and wingless generations generally alternating. A change occurs in October, when the first male aphids are produced. They have wings and fly to a tree to be joined by winged females. These females produce wingless daughters and the males mate with these when they are mature. The resulting eggs are laid on the tree, ready to overwinter. They are black with thick shells to withstand extremes of temperature. 
Aphids are very interesting creatures but can cause a great deal of damage. Their numbers increase rapidly, doubling every four to six days. While their natural predators help to control the population explosion, some other means are usually needed. A simple way is to spray them with a strong jet of water – this may not help more delicate plants! Another method is to put a couple of drops of washing-up liquid in a gallon of water and use this mixture as a spray. Companion planting may help. Chives, spearmint, garlic, basil, coriander, alliums are all said to deter aphids. Flowers like nasturtiums are particularly attractive to aphids – the black variety in our garden! – but will keep nearby plants free of them. Sunflowers attract ants and aphids and are such strong plants that they are usually unaffected by these little beasties.
Thank you to Denise Nesbitt and her willing team who organise and host this weekly meme. To see more entries please click here.

Invasion!

Great Britain has been invaded and can expect to remain occupied for at least six weeks. It's the Europeans again! Through the centuries we have suffered from assaults from Romans, Vikings, Normans – even the Germans declared intent to overcome but were repulsed before reaching these shores.
This time it is ladybirds that have marched or rather, flown into parts of Norfolk, on the East coast, and Somerset, in the South-West. The spotted hordes have swarmed in because of a glut of aphids that has resulted from the hot, wet weather. Cars, roads and buildings have been covered in layers of the brightly-coloured creatures – I didn't know aphids could be found in those locations – maybe the ladybirds know something the rest of us don't.
It is the most extreme invasion since 1976 though we always have some ladybirds flying across the Channel to holiday in these fair isles.
The name ladybird has been in use for centuries and was originally a reference to the Virgin Mary – Our Lady – because she was often portrayed wearing a red cloak.
The collective noun for ladybirds is a 'loveliness' and folk lore holds that they can predict the weather. If one falls off your hand that means it will rain but if it flies away the weather will be fine. Be careful, though, for they can nip. The intruder Harlequin ladybird has a more unpleasant bite that can cause mild skin irritation.
If a ladybird lands on your hand you may make a wish and then blow it away.
Unlike humans, who develop 'age spots' as they grow older, ladybird's spots fade as age. They live for just about a year but in that time will consume more than 5000 aphids, justifying their reputation as the gardener's friend. If plenty of food is available the female will lay more than 2000 small yellow eggs. These are laid in the same locations as their prey so that the developing larvae have a convenient source of food. However, they don't like cooler weather and will not fly if the temperature drops below 12.7c (55f)
The unfortunate human holidaymakers who have witnessed this influx may find themselves reciting the old nursery rhyme with some intensity:
Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home
Your house is on fire and your children are gone
All except one, and that's Little Anne
For she has crept under the warming pan.
Naturally, when I hunted in the garden there was not a single ladybird to be seen. I suppose they've all packed their bags and joined their friends and relations at the seaside.Common Seven Spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) Image from Wikipedia