Lying in Wait

There are forty different ladybird species in Britain but this seven spot being the most common, is abundant and lives in all sorts of habitats.

It is by no means as docile as it looks, being a voracious feeder on aphids. Ladybird eggs are laid on plants infested with aphids and the slate-blue larvae eat hundreds of these pests in the three weeks before they pupate. The striking red and black colours are a warning that they are unpleasant to eat!