DESCRIPTION: Length up to 4mm. A small easily overlooked dome-shaped insect with the dull orange-red wing-case covered in numerous short, pale hairs. The black spots on the wing-cases vary in number, from 20 to 26, sometimes they are joined or can be completely absent. The pronotum is concolorous with the elytra and has a few black spots. The legs and antennae are dark orange. Dark forms and ones with yellow spots are extremely rare. BEHAVIOUR: A vegetarian species feeding on the fungal mold of plants. 24-spot ladybirds overwinter in low herbage, grass tussocks and gorse bushes. DISTRIBUTION: A widespread species that is not particularly common or numerous anywhere. Scattered around southern Britain and absent from the far north. HABITAT: Grasslands and meadows or areas of rough grass, including marshland. PERIOD: Best seen from April to October. |
