[ColinGrigson]

Hello again freindly and helpful people , I have lots of insects on all of my veg , they are about the size of a baby ladybird and instead of the red and black of the ladybird these are predominantly yellow but with the same little black spots . Usually I find them two together one on top of the other having a little wrestle I think  :shock: . Should I be worried by their appearence or are they harmless ... please set my mind at ease  

[Aidy]

Any chance of a picture? You may have different bugs over there were not used to seeing here.

[jennyb]

could it just be a yellow lady bird?

http://i.pbase.com/u13/keiththomson/upload/42508439.cIMG_6587.jpg

[gobs]

That link doesn't work for me, but ladybirds do come in a lot of shapes, patterns and colours.

[jennyb]

plenty of different ladybirds here:

http://www.harlequin-survey.org/downloads/Ladybird%20descriptions_Info%20pack_NEW_v.5.pdf

i didn't know there were this many tho!

[woodburner]

Harlequin ladybirds are a pest, they eat beneficial insects as well as bad ones. The only ladybird I've seen this year was one of them, so it went under my boot in double quick time. The big giveaway is the white patches on the side of their heads, seems all the variations have that.
Edit:
Ooh the two spot has white blobs too, looks like we need to count spots as well

[Aidy]

Harlequin ladybirds are a pest, they eat beneficial insects as well as bad ones. The only ladybird I've seen this year was one of them, so it went under my boot in double quick time.

It has recently been said that there was not enough evidence to support mass culling of these, they are stiill sitting on the fence. Cant remember which program it was but it was recent, they said not to kill them now.

[Aunt Sally]

There are so many of them that killing a few that you find under your boot will make absolutely no difference.  Current advice is not to bother.

[Vienna Phil]

Hi Colin,

No sign of these little beasts in Vienna! Maybe their former communists? javascript:emoticon(':D')

Phil

[Vienna Phil]

That should of course be 'Maybe they're former communists'. Considering I am a university lecturer in English, that is more than a bit embarrassing.[/I] :roll:

[Aunt Sally]

It's all about communicating Phil, not good use of English !

If we understand you the message has got through.

Aunty uses ipmeaccble English of cause  

[hecateh]

Harlequin ladybirds are a pest, they eat beneficial insects as well as bad ones. The only ladybird I've seen this year was one of them, so it went under my boot in double quick time.

It has recently been said that there was not enough evidence to support mass culling of these, they are stiill sitting on the fence. Cant remember which program it was but it was recent, they said not to kill them now.

     So long as they are sitting on the fence they won't do your plants much harm.  

[ColinGrigson]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply , it seems they're nothing to get worried about .

Phil I think it's the red ones that are communist .  

[Aidy]

Harlequin ladybirds are a pest, they eat beneficial insects as well as bad ones. The only ladybird I've seen this year was one of them, so it went under my boot in double quick time.

It has recently been said that there was not enough evidence to support mass culling of these, they are stiill sitting on the fence. Cant remember which program it was but it was recent, they said not to kill them now.

     So long as they are sitting on the fence they won't do your plants much harm.  

After I wrote that I thought mmm wrong, however I thought I would see just how long it took for someone to reply, 3hrs+ is pretty slow.

[Trillium]

Perhaps peeps were waiting for some to land in their gardens before they replied