Anna found this little beggar on a reed by the Thames during our lovely, long, post-sunday lunch walk.
This is the tiny 24 Spot ladybird.
It has the longest specific scientific name I've EVER heard of, which weighs in at a whopping twenty-three letters. (It should be 24 though eh?)!
For the record its scientific name is:
SUBCOCCINELLA
VIGINTIQUATTUORPUNCTATA.
The 24-Spot ladybird is not rare. It has fine hairs over its dark orange elytra (wing-cases), making it appear dull. The number of spots can vary between 22 and 26, though the 3 spots joined together (looking a bit like a silhouette of Mickey Mouse) are quite distinctive.
It is also only one of two species of British Ladybirds that eats plants, not insects, and becomes the sixth Ladybird species to make it onto "Blue-Grey". (Seven if you include different varieties of the same species in the case of the Two Spot Ladybird).
No comments:
Post a Comment