Nature on our doorsteps: Halloween Harlequins

Rosaleen Dwyer is the County Heritage Officer at South Dublin County Council – every week she gives us an insight into nature on our doorsteps and the beautiful biodiversity of its plants and wildlife.

AS WINTER approaches, insects like Ladybirds will be searching for good places to hibernate during the colder months ahead.

Many adult Ladybirds will hide away in piles of dead leaves under the hedge, or in the rough grass at the base of trees, or amongst the dense evergreen leaves and stems of Ivy and other bushes and trees.

Some might also find their way into old sheds and outhouses in an effort to get out of the cold.

In recent years, however, one particular Ladybird has become more noticeable as they hibernate.

This is the Harlequin Ladybird, a non-native species of Ladybird which was first recorded in Ireland in 2007.

Since then, it has become more widespread and plentiful across the country. Irish winters are cooler than in the Harlequin’s native range in central and eastern Asia.

In Ireland, hibernating adults try to stay warm by clustering together in large groups and they can be found like this in warmer sheds, and even in houses and attics.

Harlequin Ladybirds are bigger than most Irish Ladybirds, and their colour pattern is also very variable.

They are usually orange-red in colour with up to 19 black spots, but they can also be black with red or orange markings.

For this reason, they are also known as the Multicoloured Asian Ladybird. Like native Ladybirds, Harlequins can be helpful in the garden as they feed on aphids and greenflies.

Harlequins, however, are voracious predators. When greenfly numbers are low, they will also feed on other helpful insects like Lacewings.

They are even known to feed on other species of Ladybird and their larvae. This is a real concern, as it places even more pressure on insect species to survive at a time of climate change and habitat loss.

Because large clusters of Harlequins are first generally seen around mid-to-late October as they begin their hibernation period, this beetle has also been referred to as the Halloween Ladybird.