Wiltshire Archaeological & Natural History Magazine, vol. 95 (2002), pp. 125-30 



A Preliminary Account of the Ladybirds of 

 Wiltshire (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) including 

 a previously overlooked record of the five spot 

 (Coccinella quinquepunctata L.) 



by Michael Darby 



All of the British species of ladybird except four are shown to have been recorded in the county and the 

 records are listed. Two, however, published in the Report of the Marlborough College Natural History 

 Society;, are doubtful, and the reasons explained. These include a previously overlooked record of the five 

 spot, Britain 's rarest ladybird. 



INTRODUCTION 



Ladybirds are surely the most popular British 

 beetles. The bright colours of many species appeal 

 aesthetically and their diet of plant pests such as 

 aphids is well regarded by farmers and gardeners. 

 Although the work of the Cambridge Ladybird 

 Survey since its establishment in 1984 has done 

 much to increase our scientific knowledge and to 

 help our understanding of national distribution 

 patterns, nothing has been written specifically about 

 the status of ladybirds in Wiltshire. This article aims 

 to redress the balance. It is a preliminary account 

 as the title makes clear and includes all the records 

 currently held on the database of the Biological 

 Records Office. Until such time as a systematic 

 county survey has been completed (like those 

 carried out for plants and butterflies) I have not 

 thought it worthwhile to produce distribution maps 

 for individual species or to attempt a detailed 

 analysis of the data. 



Should others be stimulated to become 

 interested by reading this, as I hope, the volume by 

 Majerus, M. and Keans, R, 1989, and also that by 

 Majerus, M., 1994 are recommended. The former, 

 in particular, includes simple keys and illustrations 

 to help in identification, and is inexpensive. 



Ladybirds belong to the beetle family 

 Coccinellidae of which forty two species are listed 

 as British. Of these, eighteen in the genera 

 Coccidula, Rhizobius, Clitostethus, Stethorus, 

 Scymnus, Nephus, Hyperaspis and Platynapsis are 

 not popularly considered as ladybirds (most are 

 small and of a uniform brown or similar 

 colouration) and have not been included here. 



Because long lists of records occupy valuable 

 space and do not make for enjoyable reading, I have 

 tried to be as concise as possible by omitting map 

 references, methods of capture, etc. . . Dates have 

 been included, however, so as to give an idea of the 

 time scales when adults are to be found. Generally 

 speaking the ladybird life cycle lasts approximately 

 one year and gives rise to a single generation. Eggs 

 are laid in the spring and the larvae hatch after four 

 days. There are then three further instars until 

 pupation occurs between one and two months later. 

 After emergence from the pupa the adults usually 

 feed for a period of several weeks before dispersing 

 to their overwintering sites, prior to mating in April/ 

 May. 



All the British ladybirds pass the winter as adults 

 so that this is an important time for them. Severe 

 winters can cause high mortality rates which in turn 

 affect numbers the following year. Large 



The Old Malthouse, Sutton Mandeville, Salisbury, SP3 5LZ 



