Attack of the ladybirds

Wed 11 Oct 2023, 11:35

Frank and I could get into an interesting / arcane (take your pick) entomological discussion here.  Just looking at the index to my dad's An Angler's Guide to Entomology (price 45s), there are 5 species of Caenis listed and 3 of Ephemara - or Mayfly as commonly known - though I'm sure there are many more, with both of the order Ephmeroptera.  My wife would have been rolling her eyes at this point at my feeble attempt at taxonomy! 

Caenis are like miniature versions of Mayflies but aren't limited to hatching in the few weeks the latter generally are.  They are known as 'Angler's Curse' because when they hatch in large nos trying to imitate them is pointless!  The sad thing is, the last time I saw a large hatch was 30 years ago on the delightful River Piddle (which probably is now just that) in Dorset - and to bring it back closer to home, have never seen any here.

But thanks Frank for enlightening re the whiteflies - serious hordes of them around, plenty of food for ladybirds....

Tue 10 Oct 2023, 21:38

The white flies surprisingly are … whitefly. The ones seen in gardens are usually the greenhouse whitefly trialeurodes vaporariorum; not a fly at all but related to aphids and cause a lot of plant and vegetable damage. They belong to the order of insects known as true bugs. They are unrelated to Rod’s angler’s curse, which are mayflies, and of course these are not flies either! There are lots of other very similar looking species of whitefly and walking around the Charlbury countryside this summer and autumn I’ve seen clouds coming off the vegetation. One of their predators is the ladybird, a collection of which is known as a loveliness, so let’s not hurt them. 

Tue 10 Oct 2023, 21:06

I'd also like to know what the clouds of tiny white flies are, Rod.

Tue 10 Oct 2023, 18:11

Ladybirds go through two or three generations in the warm season. The ones around now are the last of this year's adults who've developed from the ferocious black garden monsters of the nymph form (those long-abdomened critters with a couple of red spots are the most voracious of aphid eaters…

Long post - click to read full text

Mon 9 Oct 2023, 18:43

I should have clarified. They are in my house! No aphids to eat in here. I would be very happy to see them in the garden. 

Mon 9 Oct 2023, 16:39

Where were they when we needed them on the broad beans??  They seem to be predominantly 24 spot but also 2 spot types.  And what about the huge nos of tiny white flies coming off the hedges - can anyone identify?  Even smaller than caenis, aka Angler's Curse....

Mon 9 Oct 2023, 16:32

It depends on the variety... most are great but the harlequin variety are invasive: https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/harlequin-ladybird

Mon 9 Oct 2023, 16:11

Well they eat aphids actually but, yes, they are the gardener's friend so please leave them to do what they do best. Besides, they are beautiful. Hardly a plague!

Sun 8 Oct 2023, 21:54

Yes. They eat the insects. Leave alone if you can. 

Sun 8 Oct 2023, 21:44

Does anyone else have a plague of  ladybirds?