Nature on our doorsteps: Ladybirds in winter

There are 27 different species of ladybirds known to occur in Ireland. Of these, about 20 look like the ‘typical’ ladybird with the lovely red, orange, or yellow colouring and with scattered black or cream spots.

The most well-known is the 7-spot Ladybird, with its shiny red wing-cases dotted with three spots on either side and with a central spot behind its head.

Ladybirds overwinter as adult insects, spending the winter in a type of hibernation.

In late autumn, they find a safe place to hide behind tree bark, in hollow plant stems, or in one of the specially constructed ‘bug hotels’ that we hang up for them.

Sometimes a cluster of dormant ladybirds can be found huddled together, occasionally in quite large numbers.

The large Harlequin Ladybird is sometimes found like this.

The Harlequin Ladybird is more competitive than other ladybird species

The Harlequin is not a native Irish ladybird. It arrived into Ireland in recent years and its numbers appear to be growing.

It is much larger and more competitive than our native species, so there is some concern that its spread will have negative consequences for other ladybirds.

In the garden, the Harlequin is a fierce predator of greenfly and aphids.

While this makes it a good friend to the gardener, this ladybird can also turn to eating the eggs and larvae of other insects, including ladybirds.

This makes it a threat for beneficial insect species in the garden.

Once the hibernating ladybirds are out of the wind and rain, they can regulate their body temperature for months. They can survive on their own body’s energy reserves until springtime, when they emerge and start looking for food.