Species alert
Harmonia axyridis
Scientific name: Harmonia axyridis and varieties.
Common name: Harlequin Ladybird, Multicoloured Asian Ladybird,
Halloween Ladybug.
Synonyms: Coccinella axyridis (Pallas), Coccinella
bisex-notata (Herbst), Coccinella 19-sinata (Faldermann),
Coccinella conspcua (Faldermann), Coccinella aulica (Faldermann),
Harmonia spectabilis (Faldermann), Coccinella succinea (Hop),
Anatis circe (Mulsant), Ptychanatis yedoensis (Takizawa).
Why the concern? This is an invasive species of ladybird that was
found at two sites in the Republic of Ireland during November 2010. Previous
records came from 2007 and 2009 in Northern Ireland (inset map).If the harlequin
ladybird becomes established, it will threaten native invertebrate diversity,
could impact on the fruit production and be a nuisance in buildings.
The sightings came from two members of the public that spotted the ladybird
in their homes. Colette O’Flynn from the National Biodiversity Data Centre
believes that the ladybirds were seeking shelter from the cold conditions. She
said ‘this is not uncommon for this species’.
She added ‘the specimens found could represent the tip of the iceberg in
terms of a new invasion to the island of Ireland. The harlequin ladybird is one
of the fastest spreading invasive species in Europe. We were lucky in the past
when two previous sightings from Northern Ireland were not associated with a
breeding population in the wild’.
If the harlequin ladybird becomes established, it will lead to a decline and
in some cases the extinction of some of our native ladybird species. Ireland has
15 native ladybird species which are threatened by the arrival of the harlequin
ladybird.
This is a highly mobile species, which makes controlling it difficult. It can
also live in a variety of habitats including trees, low growing plants such as
nettles and also cropland. It can overwinter in houses or other sheltered areas.
What does it look like? Variable in colour (yellow to orange to red)
(image B) and number of spots (0-20) (images A, C and D). At 6 - 8 mm long, they
tend to be larger and more domed than most native ladybirds, normally with
reddish brown legs. They may also have a distinctive ’M’ or ’W’ marking on the
pronotum (back of head) (image D). Juveniles have an orange stripe on each side
of their body (image E).
Where might I see it? Entering houses in winter (image C) where they
can aggregate on windowsills and walls (image B); on imported vegetables, fruit
or plants; and in gardens, woodlands, agricultural or horticultural lands.
Date Issued: December 2010
For more information or to report any sightings please email: coflynn@biodiversityireland.ie
or visit the Invasive Species
Ireland Website
Harmonia axyridis
Harmonia axyridis variability in colour (yellow to orange to red)
Harmonia axyridis variability in number of spots (0-20)
They may also have a distinctive ’M’ or ’W’ marking on the pronotum (back of
head)
Juveniles have an orange stripe on each side of their body
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