Seven-spot ladybird larva
The last time I planted sunflowers in my garden, I got an unexpected bonus – lots of ladybirds. This year, I planted even more sunflowers but the ladybirds didn’t show up. In fact, I was wondering if there was a general shortage of ladybirds, but when I was in Burren last weekend, there seemed to be plenty of them. Anyway, there is a patch of borage and wild mustard flowers at the back of my garden, and I’ve spotted some ladybirds feasting on aphids there (could have done with them earlier in the summer when the aphids were murdering my roses).
Unlike previous years, the only ladybirds I’ve seen in the garden are 7-spot, and the pictures here show an adult and larvae on the same plant, as well as a close-up of a seven-spot ladybird larvae.
