Look whats been hanging around my nano

[Ian Holdich]

I noticed this little guy last week, there is some emersed Hydro Japan and Ludwigia now coming from this tank. I noticed this funny little ladybird in the hydro. I thought he was just hanging in there. But over the week he seems to have made my nano his home. Here he is just chillin on the wood.


IMG_2893 by Ian Holdich, on Flickr


IMG_2890 by Ian Holdich, on Flickr

 

[Ady34]

8)
total NA!

 

[Ian Holdich]

he's my new pet, I might take him out for a walk later.

 

[Gary Nelson]

That's a great pic mate, I'd say he complements your tank very nicely

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
He is probably a Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis), they come into houses to hibernate.

I rather liked this headline from "the Independent", not over the top at all.

"Invading cannibal ladybirds take over Britain's homes. Asian interlopers devour native insect populations and exude chemical that could ruin your curtains" <http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...dybirds-take-over-britains-homes-6287000.html>

cheers Darrel

 

[Ian Holdich]

holy crap...he's gonna eat the curtains!

my missus is gonna be fuming!


I have read about Harlequins before, and how they are invading the Uk. I thought it may be a 16 spot though.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I thought it may be a 16 spot though.

They are really little (3mm ish). Have a look here: <http://www.ladybird-survey.org/species_list.aspx>, but I reckon your curtains are toast.

cheers Darrel

 

[BigTom]

That Independent headline is brilliant. In a similar vein I've taken to introducing my study organism as 'giant flesh-eating Viking mice'.

 

[Matt Warner]

Very nice Ian! I now want my own pet ladybird

 

[Ian Holdich]

Got it ID'd by an expert from here

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk/

It is a Harlequin...i also asked him about the dangers

Hi Ian.
They're not quite the problem that was originally forecast.
There was talk of them wiping out the indigenous species but, for whatever reason, that doesn't seem to have happened.
One theory is that they do not survive our winters as well as the home grown species.
Or maybe the cross-bred population does not survive well or has difficulty in reproduction.
Who knows. Nature has many ways of stabilising populations.

What to do with him?
I have a theory that when man interferes with nature, it's usually for all the wrong reasons.
I'd just release him to the wild (anywhere) and let nature take it's course. There is precious little sentiment out there in the wild.

Alan

 

[Alastair]

Aww, stick it somewhere warm adding they go into hiding now??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ian Holdich]

Alan (the main man), reckons he's gonna go into hibernation. He hasn't moved from that stick now since i took the pics. I'll just leave him i reckon.

 

[Matt Warner]

It probably likes the warmth from the lights.

 

[prdad]

You'll come down one morning in spring and he'll be 6ft tall stood at the cooker making a bacon butty. mark my words!