Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Cultivation => Cultivation Problems => Topic started by: annew on July 01, 2016, 01:26:25 PM

Title: Insect for ID please?
Post by: annew on July 01, 2016, 01:26:25 PM

My neighbour's clematis was defoliated last week. He says he found hundreds of tiny orange things the size of a pin head, and also lots of these. These look like predators to me, in fact one is eating one of the others! Any ideas?

Title: Re: Insect for ID please?
Post by: annew on July 01, 2016, 01:27:39 PM

They look a bit like ladybird larvae, but not the species I'm used to.

Title: Re: Insect for ID please?
Post by: Maggi Young on July 01, 2016, 02:01:26 PM

Harlequin ladybird larva I think.

Title: Re: Insect for ID please?
Post by: Dave M on July 01, 2016, 06:50:19 PM

Yep, Harlequin Ladybird larvae. A non-native introduced to Europe and the US for aphid control that has now got out of control itself.

Title: Re: Insect for ID please?
Post by: annew on July 01, 2016, 09:21:52 PM

Voracious little blighters!

Title: Re: Insect for ID please?
Post by: Lesley Cox on July 01, 2016, 10:37:26 PM

So what does it eat now then? (apart from each other :o)

Title: Re: Insect for ID please?
Post by: partisangardener on July 02, 2016, 05:03:55 AM

Aphids,

Title: Re: Insect for ID please?
Post by: annew on July 02, 2016, 08:44:01 AM

There's only one left in the pot now. ::)

Title: Re: Insect for ID please?
Post by: shelagh on July 03, 2016, 03:12:19 PM

Do they eat woolly aphid, if so send one along :D

Title: Re: Insect for ID please?
Post by: David Nicholson on July 03, 2016, 04:50:57 PM

Quote from: shelagh on July 03, 2016, 03:12:19 PM

Do they eat woolly aphid, if so send one along :D

Have you got them too Shelagh? My Primulas are full of them (never had them before) and re-potting is taking an age.