The plant and the ladybird


One of the pleasures of being  - or at least attempting to be - an all-round naturalist is that you tend to nose around at anything and everything as you idly wander. In doing so you can be handsomely rewarded. This afternoon I went on a 'birding stroll', (I'm still adhering to local lockdown and not driving anywhere.) I found myself at Park Downs, Banstead, a delightful place that has a fine fauna and flora. It is also peaceful, one of my bolt-holes. As I wandered down the edge of a field I noticed several plants of White Bryony starting to unfurl across the path and into the hedgerow. My eye was drawn to a distinctively coloured insect, the unmistakable browny-red of the Bryony Ladybird. And there were more, all resting on the leaves of its food plant and a quick check of the other plants by the path revealed at least 12 insects on show. There could have been many more but I didn't want to disturb them by checking underneath the leaves.

This species was not recorded in the UK until 1997 and has settled quite happily in the London area (particularly Surrey) with outlying records from Oxford and Coventry. May is a particularly good month to observe them, so it is well worth checking any White Bryony plants (photos attached for reference if you do not know it). They are easy to find in my area, but I do not take them for granted, and have grown quite fond of them.



Comments

Gibster said…
I collected about ten of these as larvae some years back (blimey, 21 years back, I guess!) from Fairmile Heath near Cobham. When they emerged as adults, I released them onto a huge hang of White Bryony outside my flat in the middle of the notorious Longmead Estate. I wonder if they were the start of the Epsom area populations, or did they arrive more naturally from elsewhere?
14 May 2020 at 18:44
martinf said…
Don't think we have them in Cambridge yet but always check the white bryony on the off chance...
15 May 2020 at 10:15
Steve Gale said…
Seth - you naughty boy! I'm sure that they got here under their own steam though.

Martin - keep looking!
15 May 2020 at 17:08
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