Two-spot Ladybird

The Two-spot Ladybird (Adalia bipunctata) was once a very common beetle in the UK. However, this species has declined in recent years. It is thought that the main cause for this is the invasive, non-native Harlequin Ladybird which outcompetes the Two-spot Ladybird for food and also predates on their eggs, larvae and pupae.

The Two-spot Ladybird has two main colour varieties on their elytra (wing cases), red with black spots or black with red spots. However, due variation in this species and others, having two-spots doesn’t always mean that you have found a Two-spot Ladybird. Further north, black with four red spots is more common (it is thought that the extra black helps retain warmth). And there are forms with four and six spots too!

To confuse matters further, the ten-spot and harlequin ladybird can also have two spots. One thing you can be sure of is that the Two-spot Ladybird has black legs which, along with their size, can be a helpful identifier.

The bright colouration on ladybirds is there to warn predators that these beetles won’t make an enjoyable meal. When attacked, ladybirds exude a bitter tasting alkaloid fluid from their leg joints in a defence mechanism known as reflex bleeding. The fluid also contains a distinctive smell of a chemical known as pyrazine which tells the attacker that this dinner is going to taste bad.

Ladybirds are voracious predators of aphids and other small insects. Due to its diet, Two-spot Ladybirds are often used as a biological control agent in greenhouses, farms and gardens. The Two-spot Ladybird itself has been introduced to Australia specifically for this purpose.

• • Size: 4-5mm
  • Life span: up to 1 year.
  • Diet: Adults and larvae eat aphids and other small insects.
  • Reproduction: The lifecycle consists of four phases: egg, larval, pupa and adult stage. Female ladybirds lay bright yellow eggs on the underside of leaves in clutches of up to 40, usually in June and July. The larva pass through four instars (stages of development) before becoming a pupa. The new generation of adults typically appears in August, and they won’t mate until the following year. Ladybirds overwinter between October and March. In the spring they will become active again, seeking out food, and then begin mating, starting the cycle over again.
  • When to see: March to October
  • Population Trend: Declining
  • Threats: The loss of connected wild habitats, pesticide use in agriculture and in gardens. Recent declines are also thought to have been caused by the arrival of invasive, non-native Harlequin Ladybirds which compete for food and also prey on their eggs, larvae and pupae.
  • Interesting Fact: Some populations of Two-spot Ladybird are mostly made up of females due to a symbiotic bacterium that lives within the gametic cells of female Ladybirds. This bacterium kills male embryos in newly laid eggs and can only be transmitted via females. 

How can you help:

Submit your ladybird sightings to the UK Ladybird Survey. By building up a database of records, we can better understand how ladybirds are responding to threats like the invasive Harlequin. You can submit your ladybird sightings on iRecord.

You can provide a safe space for ladybirds in your garden by leaving wild areas of native plants, building log piles, and avoiding the use of pesticides.

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