A simplified key for London/Essex Ladybirds

Note: this key does not contain the most rare British ladybirds nor any exotic species; some variants will not fit into this key.

Specimens not identified here should be referred to the key of Majerus & Kearns (Naturalists’ Handbook 10) or an expert.

In this key, the ladybird species are grouped firstly according to the background colour of the hindbody; then by the number and colour of the spots on ONE elytron of the hindbody or by other features (* leg colour is especially important for 2-/10-spot variants). NOTE that the 7-spot ladybird has 3 spots on each elytron and a scutellar spot (3+3+1 = 7!). Colour: black and red (scarlet) should be obvious but some people see yellow/orange/brown in different ways. Here ‘yellow’ is a pale colour (bright in the 22-spot, dull buff in the 16-spot). Only one ladybird is described here as ‘orange’: this has white spots so anything else that looks orange is pale red or brown! ‘Brown’ is a chestnut colour: three species have pale, cream spots and should not be confused with ‘red’ ones (with black spots). NB: none of this holds for newly-emerged individuals: always pale, often without patterns and could all be mistaken for the larch ladybird!

RED hindbody background:

• • forebody mainly black (with white patches):
    • more than 5.5 mms long
      • 3 black spots on each elytron ß 7-spot
      • 6 black spots (usually with yellow rims) ß Eyed
    • less than 5 mms long
      • 1 black spot each elytron no scutellar spot ß 2-spot
      • 3 black spots on each elytron, scutellar spot ß Adonis
      • 5 black spots on each elytron, scutellar spot ß 11-spot
      • 2 black patches, foremost distinctive ß Hieroglyphic
  • forebody red: up to 11 spots on each elytron, less than 6mms ß 24-spot
  • forebody red: 5 spots on each elytron, more than 5mms long ß Bryony
  • forebody mainly white:
    • 9 black spots on each elytron (orange-coloured) ß Water
    • 5 black spots on each elytron; underside/legs pale ß 10-spot
    • Yellowish streaks with up to 8 black spots on each elytron ß Cream-streaked
    • Cream-coloured streaks, no spots (brownish) on elytra ß Striped

BROWN hindbody background:

• • 7 white spots on each elytron ß Cream-spot
  • 5 white spots (star-shaped scutellar mark) on each elytron ß 18-spot
  • white linear patches on each elytron ß Striped

ORANGE hindbody background:

• • 5 white spots on each elytron ß Orange
  • 9 black spots on each elytron ß Water

YELLOW hindbody background:

• • 11 black spots on each elytron ß 22-spot
  • 7 black marks on each elytron - angular/square, often joined-up ß 14-spot
  • 8 black spots (small, buff background) on each elytron ß 16-spot
  • no markings on elytra ß Larch

BLACK hindbody background:

• • Yellow marking on elytra ß 14-spot
  • no markings or very small tan ones on elytra ß Hieroglyphic
  • outline oval, dome-shaped,
    • 1-4 angular red patches ß (melanic 2-/10-spot) k

• • 2 large rounded, red patches on each elytron ß 10-spot
  • outline heart-shaped with flattened rim around edge
    • 2 red patches on each elytron ß Pine
    • 1 large, rounded red patch on each elytron ß Kidney-spot
    • 1 narrow red stripe across each elytron ß Heather