The Telegraph is reporting that the Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis, you might call them "ladybugs") is now the major lady beetle species in the UK. Impressively, the beetle has managed to do this in just a few short years, with the first record of one in Britain back in 2004. The news of the Asian lady beetle's domination comes from the UK Harlequin Ladybird Survey, a program whose leaders go so far as to call their subject "the most invasive ladybird on Earth." Kudos to the Telegraph for including a UK distribution map and an excellent, if gruesome, action shot of two Asian lady beetle larvae munching on a poor 7-spot lady beetle (Coccinella septempunctata), a native UK species.
No comments:
Post a Comment