Harlequin ladybugs: Asian beetles invade British homes while they threaten native species

As a horror film with extremely reduced budget, they arrive in swarms – swarms of ladybugs.

Harlequin ladybugs enter the British home in the hundreds, thousands in some cases – tens of thousands if you really want to push it – and you could stain your furniture.

With their number apparently enhanced by the heatwave of the summer, they have been seen invading the windowsills, invading the seat of a wildlife protection trust, even infesting the bedroom of the house. one of the scientists who works to control their spread.

And they are ladybugs of extraterrestrial type.

Of Asian origin, they reached our shores of North America via continental Europe. Now they come here, stealing the niche of our native ladybirds into the environment, eating their food and forcing some species like the two-spotted ladybug to scarcity.

And they have a sexually transmitted disease, some of them – a species of laboulbeniales fungus that they spread during mating.

The harlequin ladybug, Harmonia axyridis, is also known as the Halloween Ladybug and is currently alarming (although it is mostly hammered and slightly ironic).

"Update on the attack of ladybugs," said public relations officer Helen Ablett, while a swarm of Harlequin ladybugs rushed to her window sill. "It's officially out of control, I lost control of the room."

"Attack of Ladybugs at Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park," said Clare George-Hilley of South West London. "Incredible scenes of hundreds of thousands of ladybugs flying in the air, on people, on walls, pillars."

On the official twitter account of the Royal Parks of London, the call was launched: "We are invaded: help us!"

At least, members of the Sussex Wildlife Trust were able to shed light on what was happening – despite ladybugs crawling on the wall of their seat.

"Ladybugs," they said, "tend to congregate at this time of year, looking for cracks and crevices for hibernation. [in] during the winter. "

And with more than 50 insects housed in her room, Professor Helen Roy, co-organizer of the British Inquiries and Harlequin Ladybird Surveys, was well placed to explain that the species most likely to return home to hibernate was harlequin.

Other species of British ladybugs prefer to hibernate outdoors, in the trees or hide among the dead leaves.

These native ladybug species are increasingly threatened by Harlequin.

Urging people to report the sightings, the Harlequin and Ladybug Survey warns, "The Harlequin Ladybug is the most invasive ladybug on the planet."

Its worldwide march began in the 1980s when Harlequin ladybugs were brought from their native Asia to North America to control the aphid that ate the crops.

Harlequin has quickly become the most common ladybug species on the North American continent.

But it was still introduced in parts of Europe during another attempt to control aphids.

In 2004, Harlequin ladybugs arrived in Britain, whether they were accidentally transported or swept by high winds.

Harlequin is a threat to many of the 46 native British ladybug species, as it can easily compete with them for food. Her appetite is also so voracious that some harlequins supplement their diet against aphids by eating the eggs of other ladybugs.

When it comes to explaining the rapid decline of the two-point ladybug in the UK, harlequin is the main suspect.

And just to make them even more sinister, Harlequin ladybugs can have more than 100 different color patterns, thus helping them to escape identification by human observers.

The most common forms seen in the UK are orange with 15 to 21 black dots, or black with two or four orange or red dots.

Despite the threat that they pose to other ladybugs, harlequins are generally harmless to humans. People can not catch the laboulbeniales fungus even if they touch an infected ladybug because it only affects insects, centipedes, centipedes, spiders and crustaceans.

However, if they are disturbed during hibernation and if they are unable to find another food, hungry Harlequin ladybugs may bite, causing a slight sting and leaving a small bump. In a small number of cases, people have had severe allergic reactions to ladybug bite.

Most often, however, the danger lies in appliances and furniture.

The Harlequin Ladybird Survey warns: "As a defense mechanism, many species of ladybugs exude a yellow liquid (called reflex blood) that exudes a pungent, unpleasant odor and can stain furniture fabrics."