Coccinella septempunctata, 7-Spot Ladybird

Common Name: 7-Spot Ladybird

Coccinella septempunctata, more commonly known as the 7-spot ladybird, is approximately 5-8mm in length. They have three and a half spots on each of their two wing cases. The thorax is black with two white marks at the side, and the head is small and black.

Larvae have lumpy grey-blue skin with yellow spots at the sides of their abdomens. They inhabit gardens, woodland, hedgerows and meadows and have a varied diet of small insects but favour plant-lice and aphids. The 7-Spot, as with other ladybirds often hibernate in large groups in sites which are used year after year.

Ladybirds can be seen piled on top of one another while hibernating, the advantage of this is perhaps that less heat is lost, increasing their chances of surviving the cold of winter. In the main breeding season, May and June, mating seven-spots are a common sight in our hedgerows and gardens.

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