A Loveliness of Ladybirds

Most days when taking my daily execise, walking around our local lanes, I see a 7-spot Ladybird or even two or three.  They are bright and visible so catch the eye. This last week or so, I have been amazed at one patch of nettles on my regular daily walk.

The ordinary looking nettle patch

It looks no different from all the other patches of nettles that I look at as I walk by.  So what does make it special?  The sheer abundance of Ladybirds that can be counted there.

On the 5th, I counted five 7-spot Ladbybirds in a shaded waterside patch, but along the lane between Tonacombe and Stanbury Cross in this particular nettle patch there were 34.  They were not closely grouped, but spread about, one on an occassional nettle.On the 8th there was only one seen elsewhere but here there were 15 albeit on a damp, grey drizzly day.

Socially distanced Ladybirds

Once the sun came out and the temperature lifted a little, back they were sunning on the nettle patch - 54 on the 11th and 47 on the 13th.

7-spot Ladybird

On the 11th there was a 7-spot larva and a lone 10-spot Ladybird and on the 13th anothere larva, this time of a Harlequin Ladybird.  Todya, 16th there were and amazing 71 ladybirds.

10-spot Ladybird

Harlequin Ladbybird larva

Seen en masse Ladybirds certainly live up to their collective noun - a true loveliness.