An unusual number of ladybirds have appeared in the UK this summer, with recent footage of seaside towns being plagued by them going viral on social media. A swarm even paused play at the England versus India cricket test match at Lords last week, prompting calls of an 'invasion' of the spotted bug.
But are we really facing unprecedented numbers of them this year?
According to Helen Roy, an ecologist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, a higher number of ladybirds are being seen this year (particularly seven-spot ladybirds). Roy suggests two reasons for this.
“These ladybirds feed on aphids which were in plentiful supply when the ladybirds emerged from their winter dormancy and this, coupled with the warm weather, has provided perfect conditions for ladybirds,” she explains.
“Indeed, high temperatures enable ladybirds to complete their lifecycles (from egg to adult) very rapidly and consequently we are seeing lots of adult ladybirds that have recently emerged from their pupae.”
So, there really do seem to be more ladybirds around – which is good news if you’re a keen gardener or growing crops.
Ladybirds are a natural pest control, munching through large numbers of insects such as aphids.
Roy also leads the UK Ladybird Survey, which is a national recording scheme for the beetles, as a volunteer. Keen naturalists can report sightings of ladybirds via the iRecord platform.
Roy says, “The contributions that people make to our understanding of the ecology of ladybirds (and other wildlife) by submitting their sightings to iRecord are inspiring and very much appreciated. It is wonderful to be part of the ladybird recording community!”
Ladybird invasion of 1976
While this year's 'invasion' has made headlines, it (thankfully) hasn't reached the levels witnessed in the summer of 1976. It was estimated that 23.65 billion of the bugs were swarming on the southern and eastern coasts of England by late July, according to the British Entomological and Natural History Society.
A warm spring led to large populations of aphids – but after crops matured early and dried up during a drought, the aphid population collapsed, leaving ladybirds to move on and find food elsewhere. It was reported that some ladybirds turned to biting humans in an attempt to rehydrate using their sweat.
This summer has seen high temperatures so far, mirroring some events of 1976, but with crops looking more stable, it's unlikely that we'll them in such high numbers.
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Top image: swarm of ladybirds. Credit: Getty
