This one I found confusing; it has a lot of similartity with the pine ladybird (Exochomus quadripustulatus), apart from that the front patterns are curved in an opposite direction, and the white markings on the sides of its head is not clearly present in the pine ladybird.
http://www.ladybird-survey.org/images/ladybird_imgs/gallery/Pine_ladybirds_mating_Valerie_Wallis.jpg
I think this one is another Harmonia axyridis, Harlequin ladybird. It is much larger than the Pine Ladybird, which has a pronounced rim around the base of it's wing cases, is very domed in shape, and quite 'round'.
Check out the comparison at the bottom of this page, the pic on the right of the two black forms.
http://www.harlequin-survey.org/recognition_and_distinction.htm#
Here is the Pine Ladybird,
http://www.ladybird-survey.org/UKladybirds/species_desc.aspx?species=6455%2058901
This is my Pine Ladybird, I only saw it because I was looking at a small spider hiding between leaves. That was near the Leylandii hedge
Yes, I had checked that one out you mention in your first link , but got confused because that one has much larger white markings on its face than mine, (with mine its only a narrow rim) I also missed the M-shape on the 'pronotumon' or solid trapezoid, (the examples in the Harlequin site don't show the same markings as in mine), also the colour differs, the rim on the pronotumon is white with mine . I should have taken in account its size, but that's hard to know after so many months you've taken the picture...
And of course I had overlooked the information of the 'pronounced rim around the base of it's wing cases', but that rim is much more clear in your picture..
But now its clear to me that this must be another harlequin LB...
Thanks a lot!
This message was edited Oct 2, 2007 9:38 PM
It can be very confusing I know, as the black form of the Harlequin also looks to have rim, but the Pine Ladybird doesn't have white on the pronotum.
The 'M' shape can be fused, filled in, even completely split, so that is also confusing!
I think the one they show is very similar to yours, but the Harlequin does vary greatly in the patterning. I agree, it is difficult later to know what the sizes are!
