A Field Guide to Harlequins and Other Common Ladybirds of Britain and Ireland

Helen Boyce has a lifetime of experience photographing and studying British wildlife. She has worked with wildlife groups and conservation organisations, as well as giving lectures and leading educational walks. She has a fresh and inspiring way of approaching and teaching a subject and is naturally driven to share her knowledge and experience in an accessible way that inspires others to learn more about the fascinating natural world of wildflowers, grasses and insects.

Foreword by Helen Roy and Peter Brown Introduction The Harlequin ladybird: how and when it arrived -Where and when to find Harlequin ladybirds Characteristics of a ladybird The lifecycle of a ladybird -Eggs -Larvae -Ladybird larvae of Britain and Ireland --How to recognise a Harlequin larva -Pupae --How to recognise a Harlequin pupa -Adult ladybirds --The newly emerged adult --Overwintering --Spring emergence Protection, predation and parasites Food How to recognise a Harlequin ladybird 1. Introduction to Harlequin colour forms 2. Only Harlequins have two 'shoulder spots' 3. Harlequins never have white 'angel wings' 4. Harlequins are 5-8 millimetres long 5. The only black ladybird that has full, round white 'cheeks' is the Harlequin 6. The Harlequin's pronotum is always black and white/cream 7. The Harlequin's pronotum markings 8. Harlequin spots and patterns 9. Harlequins do not have white spots on their wing cases 10. Harlequin leg colour 11. Harlequin underside colour 12. Harlequins can have tiny rear 'pinched' dimples and ridges 13. Harlequins have a lip on the elytra Key to identifying whether or not a ladybird is a Harlequin Conspicuous ladybirds of the British Isles Other Harlequins How to record your sightings Glossary Further reading and references Photographic credits Index of non-Harlequin photos