MAY 10 - 24-spot Ladybirds (Subcoccinella 24-punctata) seen at a site near Blackpool. For a while we had been hoping to see this very small, relatively uncommon and inconspicuous ladybird, but after locating the whereabouts of a photograph of one published in a recent wildlife report, we found five with ease after sweeping in a rank grassy field. They are very inconspicuous, dull red and finely hairy, with black spots. Apart from luck, they are unlikely to be found other than by sweeping. In the north-west area at least, they appear to be only found fairly close to the sea.


At the same place we also found two of the very small 22-spot Ladybird (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata) which has only 2 spots fewer - but is of very different appearance! (May 10 2016)

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