ladybird (7-spot)

Coccinella 7-punctata

• Very familiar brightly coloured red/orange beetle
   
• Seven black spots
   
• Three on each wing case (elytra), the seventh at the front embracing both elytra
   

Where found

Widespread. Everywhere, feeding on aphids.
 

When to look for

• Look out from March for hibernated adults
   

Did you know?

• The 7-spot is considered to be 'the' ladybird, the name deriving from Christian mythology in which the 'lady' is The Virgin Mary, the red colour of the insect her cloak, and the seven spots her seven joys and seven sorrows
  
  
• Ladybirds spend the winter asleep or ‘dormant’ nestled in dense vegetation or bark crevices to protect them from the worst of the weather
  
  
• There are currently 46 species of ladybirds in the UK, but the 7-spot is amongst the commonest