Orange......

It was a fantastic mothing night last night! loads of moths, and a new species for my garden, the frosted orange! I do love autumnal moths, they are very colourful, and (for me at least) always a delight. I was just putting the cone back on the trap to put it away, when I noticed this tiny ladybird sitting on it, at first (in the misty gloom that was around at dawn) I thought it was a 7 spot ladybird really common in these parts, but then I realised it was actually an Orange ladybird Halyzia 16-guttata, a species I have only ever seen once before in 2009 when I first started recording wildlife in my area.
According to the net, it is 4.5 - 6mm and as you can see a rather attractive orange with white spots. It feeds on mildews on deciduous trees particularly sycamore and ash.
It used to be considered an indicator of ancient woodland, but since 1987 it has become much more widespread and is still increasing in numbers. interestingly it also tells me it is attracted to light and often found in moth traps!
That will be it then! maybe I should have run a moth trap years ago.