Harlequin records for Cumbria

[goosey]

The quote below is actually from another thread about hares.
Hare numbers down in NL

Originally Posted by The Woodman

When I moved to Cumbria and looked at the first mammal atlas produced by Tullie House I was amazed at the dearth of records for the common species. There were only six brown rat records for the whole county, not many more vole records. I thought to myself "I can do something to improve the situation" and have been doing so for the last twelve or so years. It's amazing what you can see on your travels apart from road kill. Mole hills, bedgerr setts on the hilsdies and in hedges, rabbits sitting out etc. all add up and can contribute to the great picture.

I was listening to radio Cumbria this morning and Steve Hewitt from Tullie House was being interviewed about ladybirds and all the good they do etc etc.....

What he said proved what the Woodman said regarding Cumbria records though. He said although he suspects there are Harlequin ladybirds in the county they have had no records or images sent in for their data base at the museum. So as it stands officially Cunbria is the only English county without ladybirds.
I know there are harlequins in Cumbria for a fact as I saw them last year at the South Walney Nature Reserve.

So come on you Cumbrains out there - send in your records if you see them this year.
Records Page


A little of track but Steve Hewitt also said there are 46 species of lady bird in Britain, which of 27 actually look like ladybirds . I had no idea there are so many, I can only tthink of about 8 or 9 off hand including hairy one's I found several times.

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

A little of track but Steve Hewitt also said there are 46 species of lady bird in Britain, which of 27 actually look like ladybirds . I had no idea there are so many, I can only tthink of about 8 or 9 off hand including hairy one's I found several times.

I gave a list of 50 spp for London which is now slightly out of date:
http://www.ladybird-survey.pwp.bluey...uk/Coccweb.rtf

Some of the species on the British list (the 13-spot, most notably) are extremely rare; other species are quite commonly seen (as imports) but have not established so aren't counted.