Scientists need your help to spot ladybirds

June 2, 2016

Scientists are calling on people who are out in their garden this summer to take part in The Ladybird Challenge and help discover how far an alien ladybird species in the UK is affecting other insects, including a wasp parasite.

Researchers from the University of Stirling are working in partnership with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the UK Ladybird Survey to find out whether the natural balance between the seven-spot ladybird and the parasitic wasp has been disrupted by the arrival of another ladybird species in the UK - the harlequin ladybird.

PhD researcher Katie Murray from the University's Faculty of Natural Sciences, said: "Harlequin ladybirds continue to cause large population declines for lots of native ladybirds, but we believe the impact is even more widespread. We need the public to help us find out whether the parasitic wasp has also been affected.

"We're asking volunteers to help find seven-spot ladybirds in their gardens and parks and check if they have a wasp cocoon. Cocoons are easy to spot - they are nearly the same size as the ladybird and are found between its legs."

Intrepid ladybird spotters are encouraged to count how many ladybirds they find and how many have cocoons. Records from these everyday eco-warriors will allow researchers to look at the occurrence of the wasp in the UK and whether it is less common in areas where harlequin ladybirds dominate.

Dr Matt Tinsley, senior lecturer at the University, added: "The wasp has an amazing lifecycle: it lays an egg in an adult ladybird, which hatches into a grub that eats the ladybird from the inside. The grub eventually squeezes out of the still-living ladybird and spins a cocoon between its legs. The ladybird is turned into a 'zombie bodyguard' protecting the cocoon from predators until the wasp emerges. Without the ladybird, the wasp would not be able to complete its lifecycle."

Helen Roy, of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and coordinator of the UK Ladybird Survey, said: "People across the UK have been instrumental in tracking the spread of the harlequin ladybird and providing records of native ladybirds too.

Read more at: 

Cannibal harlequin ladybirds now threaten native species with STDs

Scientists have warned about the unknown effect this fungal infection may have on the already beleaguered native population

ROSE TROUP BUCHANAN

Saturday 18 October 2014

Cannibal harlequin ladybirds are posing a new threat to Britain’s native species after scientists warned the variety was spreading a virulent sexually transmitted fungal infection.

Scottish scientists are concerned the insect fungus, which is transmitted primarily through mating, may be passed onto native species from the non-indigenous type with unpredictable consequences, the Scotsman reports.

Many harlequin ladybirds are already suffering from the Laboulbeniales fungal infection, according to studies conducted by the University of Stirling’s departments of biological and environmental sciences with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Researcher Matt Tinsley said: “The study will allow us to know where this fungus has spread to and what proportion of native and invasive ladybirds are infected.”

The number of harlequin ladybirds has greatly increased in recent years after they were first seen in the UK in 2004 when they were imported to Europe from East Asia for commercial pest control of crops.

Read on ...

Invasive harlequin ladybirds 'eating native British cousins'

Study of DNA shows larger species is not just out-competing native ladybirds but preying on them too

theguardian.com, Monday 23 June 2014 13.09 BST

Invasive harlequin ladybirds are feeding on their native British cousins, DNA analysis has shown.

Research analysing the contents of the guts of harlequin larvae across Europe revealed the species, which mainly eats aphids, were also preying on other insects including 10-spot and 2-spot ladybirds.

The harlequin, a larger and more voracious species than native British ladybirds, spread to the UK after being imported from East Asia to Europe for commercial pest control of crops.

Research has previously shown that seven out of eight UK ladybird species studied had declined over five years following the arrival of the harlequin in 2004. The harlequin is now the second most commonly found ladybird species in the UK.

Experts are concerned the invasive species is responsible for the declines of other ladybirds by out-competing them for food and habitat, and by preying on them.

The new study, led by Dr Peter Brown and Dr Alison Thomas of Anglia Ruskin University, is the first to use molecular techniques to probe for the presence of the DNA of several different insects in the guts of harlequin larvae.

Continued

Harlequin ladybirds escape natural 'enemies'

Harlequin ladybirds escape parasites which attack native species, scientists have found.

Harlequin ladybirds settled in the UK from Asia in 2004 and rapidly spread across the country.

The decline of several native ladybird species has been attributed to the arrival of these invasive insects.

Experts studying the invasion found that the harlequins were significantly less susceptible to parasites which prey on native ladybirds.

The results are published in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity.

Read more

Harlequin ladybirds carry disease fatal to other ladybirds

Harlequin ladybirds, biological weapons and the success of invasive species - by Professor Emeritus Stuart Reynolds, Bath University Department of Biology & Biochemistry 

May 2013. Citing recent research into the spread of Harlequin Ladybirds, Professor Reynolds looks at how very small numbers of a new species can come to dominate, outcompeting native species and colonising an area. 

Biological invasions pose a serious threat to biodiversity

Biological invasions pose a serious threat to biodiversity and are increasing in frequency, yet in spite of this, our understanding about what factors enable an introduced species to become successful invaders has been limited to date. Now new research carried out in Germany has reported important findings that demonstrate how certain species use their own ‘biological weapon' to wipe out a native population. 

The research, carried out by Professor Andreas Vilcinskas from the University of Giessen, looked at the well-known invasive Harlequin Ladybird species. Harlequins have been intensely studied because they are easily observed by members of the public and for several years have been subject to online ‘citizen science' reporting campaigns in the UK. 

Originally from China, they carry ladybird diseases

Originally from China, Harlequins are good at controlling aphids and have been widely introduced as a biological control agent all over the world. However, once introduced, local ladybirds cannot compete and in some cases become extinct. This study identified that Harlequins are bad for local ladybirds because they carry a disease - a kind of fungus - that lives in their blood. This disease is harmless to Harlequins but fatal to other ladybirds. 

Harlequins and fungus work together

Most significantly, Vilcinskas' work shows that Harlequins are able to tolerate the fungus because they have a special adaptation of their immune system that suppresses the fungus but does not kill it. It is a reasonable hypothesis that the association between the Harlequin and the fungus is in fact an adaptation - the Harlequins are using the fungus as a biological weapon to compete with other ladybirds. 

In his piece, Professor Reynolds compares the success of invading species, such as the Harlequin, with that of Spanish conquistadores as they invaded the New World in the sixteenth century. Just as in a biological invasion, tiny numbers of invaders were able to overcome native inhabitants in part because they carried diseases, which they had immunity against but which could be deadly for locals. 

Commenting, Professor Reynolds said: "This research shows how the interaction between disease and immunity is one of the most important drivers of the evolution of animal and plant communities. It also helps us to understand how delicately balanced interactions between pathogens and host immune systems are vulnerable when species are moved from one place to another."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/harlequin-disease.html

Harlequin ladybirds becoming a major pest

Introduction of Asian ladybirds into Europe serious mistake

August 2012. In retrospect, introducing the Asian (Harlequin) ladybird into Europe was a serious mistake. The insect was introduced some twenty years ago in a conscious attempt to combat aphids. But research carried out at Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) into the invasion of this foreign insect has shown that the disadvantages far outweigh this single advantage. The Asian species is displacing the native European ladybird and has become a pest that can contaminate homes and spoil the taste of wine.

The Asian ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, which originated in China and Japan, is larger than its European counterpart and has an almost invisible dent towards the rear of its wing cover; but the colour and dots are much the same which can make identification difficult.

Introduced into France & Netherlands
The foreign insect was introduced into France in the early 90s, and was first used in the Netherlands in around 1996. The Asian ladybird was thought to be a formidable weapon in the fight against aphids in greenhouses and on avenue trees, from which lice excrete sticky honeydew onto cars.

Eating native ladybirds
However, time has shown that these insects, which have very few natural enemies in Europe, are also devouring the native ladybirds. Furthermore, colonies of the Asian variety hibernate in houses and other buildings, where their excrement can cause contamination. 

Attacking vinyards
Last but least, it has been discovered that when the supply of aphids runs out, this insect has an appetite for grapes and spoils the taste of the wine.

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ladybird-harlequin-asia.html

Invading cannibal ladybirds take over Britain's homes

Asian interlopers devour native insect populations and exude chemical that could ruin your curtains

It started with the squirrels – Britain's native reds being ousted by their ruthless grey American cousins. Now another battle is unfolding, one which could be even more catastrophic for an iconic species. Ladybird wars have broken out in the UK – and this time humans are caught in the crossfire.

An explosion in the number of harlequin ladybirds has led to people's homes being infested with the creatures – and threatened native ladybirds.

While the two-spotted and seven-spotted varieties are emblematic of the British countryside, the larger harlequin, first seen in the UK in 2004 and now numbering billions, has become the nation's most abundant species. Rather than feasting on aphids and greenfly, the harlequin also eats lacewings, hoverflies and even other ladybirds.

Dr Helen Roy, head of the national survey, said: "They are spreading at 100km per year, one of the fastest spreading insects worldwide."

The harlequin is a formidable opponent – in particular for the two-spotted ladybird with which it shares an ecological niche. Since the arrival of the harlequins, the two-spotted population has declined by as much as 30 per cent.

Ladybirds are brightly-coloured because they contain defensive toxic chemicals. The harlequin carries a more potent toxic cocktail and is larger than the two-spot. The invaders eat the larva of their British country cousins.

The two-spot, once the second-most common of Britain's 47 species, would not make the top 10 now, Dr Roy said.

The Harlequin, native to Asia, was introduced to America in 1988 and has become the dominant ladybird species on the American continent. The species has invaded most of western Europe, with the UK population growing from a small corner of south-east England to dominate the entire country, as well as parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

They have been known to hibernate in great numbers in dry places like garages and sheds in the autumn.

The harlequin menace is not contained to the insect world. Although they pose no threat to human health, they can be murder on the wallpaper. Last year's wet summer led to an explosion in their numbers and they are now taking winter refuge in houses.

Dr Trevor James, entomologist at the Biological Records Centre: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, said: "The harlequin has a preference for buildings, and goes into a dormant phase over the winter time. If disturbed, they exude a yellow substance from their knees, which can stain wallpaper."

Noel Shiel, sales technician for rug and upholstery cleaners Pilgrim Payne, which has two Royal Warrants, for both the Queen and Prince Charles, said staining from ladybirds has increased threefold this year.

"There's a real epidemic, they are in almost every home. They seem to be attracted to sash and wooden window frames, and crawl up curtains, leaving orange stains." He said he had seen ladybird damage in some of London's smartest homes, including those in Eaton Square and Sloane Square. The Syrian Embassy had a big problem with ladybirds earlier this year.

Dr Roy does not recommend killing the harlequin, because insecticides could also harm the two-spot. But Tony Halliday, managing director of pest control company Biopest, said he treats ladybird call-outs with a residual insecticide.

And Dr Roy, who currently has more than 400 harlequins gathered in her window frame, believes the insects are here to stay.

It is bad news for the 0.1 per cent of the population estimated to have a phobia of ladybirds. Emma Citron, consultant clinical psychologist from the British Psychological Society, said: "It's not as common as a phobia of spiders, which affects up to five per cent of the population, or dogs, which affects around two per cent. I have helped people with a fear of ladybirds, and there is very little research to suggest it's caused by a bad experience or trauma.

"If someone is trying to tackle a fear, they should start by looking at pictures of ladybirds, using the words 'lady' and 'bird' in their conversation. Next, approach ladybirds, holding them in one hand, firstly far away from the body, then closer.

"People can try to help themselves get over their fear, but in extreme cases - if for example they would turn down invitations to parties in gardens because they are scared - they need help."

A bug's life: know your ladybirds

Harlequin ladybird

First seen in the UK in 2004, the harlequin is now the most populous species of ladybird. Feasts on aphids, other ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies. Spreading at more than 100km a year, it is rapidly conquering the country. 

Seven-spot ladybird

Goes into leaf litter over the winter months. Historically, the most populous species seen in gardens. Now the second most numerous species, with distribution remaining high. 

Two-spot ladybird

Suffered dramatic decline since the arrival of the harlequin. A decade ago, it was the second most populous species, now not in the top ten of the 47 ladybird species in the UK. Feeds on aphids, shelters in people’s homes over winter months. 

14-spot ladybird

This aphid-feeder yellow ladybird has square spots. A common species, which has seen a rise in numbers this year. 

Kidney spot ladybird

This small, black ladybird with two red spots feeds on tiny insects. Often seen on deciduous trees, and hides in the cracks of deciduous trees over winter. 

Orange ladybird 

This ladybird feeds off mildew. Experiencing a huge distribution increase, thought to be because the warmer, wetter weather in the UK gives it more food. 

Eyed ladybird

Britain’s biggest ladybird, feeds on aphids, most usually found on conifer trees or sheltering in leaf litter over winter. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/invading-cannibal-ladybirds-take-over-britains-homes-6287000.html

British ladybirds in decline – Harlequin moving in

New atlas reveals trends in British ladybird species

July 2011. The first atlas of Britain and Ireland's ladybirds has been published. The atlas is the result of a six year research project by the UK Ladybird Survey, building on data collected over the last two centuries.

The new publication maps all 47 species of Ladybirds in Britain and Ireland, building on thousands of observations from volunteer recorders. The earliest record in the atlas is that of the rare 13-spot ladybird, recorded near Oxford in 1819. The most commonly recorded species, with 27000 records, is the 7-spot ladybird, closely followed by the newly arrived Harlequin ladybird with over 25000 records.

10 ladybirds in decline
Within the atlas there is a detailed analysis of ladybird observations from the last twenty years. The results show that ten ladybird species have significantly declined in this period, whilst five have increased. Distribution maps are provided for each species together with a wide range of supplementary information covering recording techniques, species identification, ladybird parasites, historical aspects, and 194 colour photographs.

Author Dr Helen Roy said, "The atlas data enable us to address many key questions on the fascinating life histories of our 47 ladybird species. As well as being charismatic and popular insects, ladybirds have an important role as indicators of our changing environment."

14 & 10 spot ladybirds in decline

Declining species include the 14-spot and 10-spot ladybirds, which are principally greenfly (aphid) feeding ladybirds coveted by gardeners. Species doing well, and expanding their geographical range, include the Pine ladybird and the mildew-feeding Orange ladybird. In the past the Orange ladybird was a rare species. However it has thrived in recent years, partly by adapting to life on additional types of tree.

Author Dr Peter Brown said, "Ladybirds have captured the imagination of people for centuries. When the on-line UK Ladybird Survey was launched in 2005 we could never have imagined that tens of thousands of people would contribute records. This staggering response has enabled us to assess changes to the distribution of ladybirds over time. In addition, recorders' meticulous observations provide inspiration for new research directions. We hope that people will continue to contribute to this long-term study."

Dr Roy added, "Ladybird interactions with natural enemies, particularly parasites, are intriguing and we hope that this atlas will encourage further recording of both ladybirds and also the natural enemies associated with them."

Roger Hawkins, author of the Ladybirds of Surrey and the foreword to the new atlas, said, "The new Ladybird Atlas of Britain and Ireland offers so much more than distribution maps. Using a mix of photographs and text it helps with the identification of all ladybird species, from the largest to the very smallest, and in all their stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. There is information on life histories, behaviour, host plants and prey, and details of the enemies of ladybirds, especially their parasites. The atlas is published at a critical moment in the story of ladybirds in Britain and Ireland as our native species, so carefully mapped and studied over recent decades, must now compete with the alien Harlequin ladybird."

The atlas author team included Dr Helen Roy from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Dr Peter Brown from Anglia Ruskin University, Dr Remy Poland from Clifton College and wildlife enthusiast and ladybird recorder Robert Frost.

The atlas can be ordered via all good bookshops or purchased from the Field Studies Council or the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ladybird-atlas.html#cr

Harlequin ladybird invasion could endanger 1000 native UK species

Harlequin succinea - Credit the late Professor Mike Majerus of Cambridge University.

Unravelling the story of an alien invader
June 2009. Scientists presenting at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, which opened on 30th June will say that the harlequin ladybird is likely to threaten over 1000 native species in Britain.

Spread across the country in just 4 yearsThe harlequin has spread from Essex to Orkney in only four years and is now one of the fastest spreading non-native insects in Europe and the most invasive ladybird on Earth. Scientists from across the UK have been working to monitor its spread and impact. They are also seeking inventive methods of control, some of which will be presented at the Exhibition.

Harlequin caused severe declines in the USA

Project leader, Dr Helen Roy from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology said: "We believe that the negative impacts of the harlequin on Britain will be far reaching and disruptive, with the potential to affect over 1000 of our native species. In the United States, where the harlequin arrived over 20 years ago, it has been associated with severe declines in native species."

Harlequin survey

The researchers' first step has been to understand how the harlequin has spread. The public has played a key role in monitoring the invasion through the Harlequin Ladybird Survey (www.harlequin-survey.org), which was launched in 2005, and has now received over 30,000 online records.

Invasive alien species - Major threat to biodiversity

"Invasive alien species are one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity," says co-investigator Dr Remy Ware from the University of Cambridge. "Using data from the Harlequin and UK Ladybird Surveys, we have a unique opportunity to study the early establishment, spread and adaptation of an invasive species."

Natural, native enemies

The research team are now exploring how the few native enemies that do exist could be used to control the harlequin invasion. One of the most promising ideas is using a sexually transmitted mite, which makes some ladybirds infertile. If the transmission of these mites could be encouraged, the harlequin population could become greatly reduced. Other possible control options are through fungal disease, male-killing bacteria, a parasitic wasp and two species of parasitic fly.

The scientists will be on hand at the exhibition, which runs from 30 June to 4 July, to talk visitors through their research. On the exhibition stand, visitors can learn how to distinguish harlequins from native species, get up close and personal with harlequins under the microscope, and find out how scientists are trying to control the invasion.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/harlequin-ladybird009.html