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In our garden (on the dying runner bean plants) there are dozens and dozens of ladybird larvae - some still in the early stage and some which have attached themselves to the leaves awaiting full development.

I take it that they are late this year because when they should have been around in the summertime there was hardly a greenfly around.

Unfortunately, though, they seem to have left it rather late to be at the final stage of development and I'm wondering if they will have time to emerge as fully developed adults and  will they make it over the winter hibernation?

Does anyone know, and is there anything I could do to help as I fear that if they don't survive we will have none next year?



and

nature has its own way and we have ours  :) if there are plenty of cosy places for them to go to and be safe and warm it will be ok

Don't worry too much about them - they look like harlequin larvae so them getting caught out in a good hard frost will do more good than harm.

You know I did wonder because the ladybird larvae I have in my garden have blue hairs, not orange.

G x

Harelquin larvae:


Good old Seven Spot larvae:

Thanks.  Great pics btw.   ;D

G x

I can't thank you all enough and I'm so glad I posted the photos, otherwise I would have gone on thinking they were our truly beneficial ladybirds.

Now, thanks to you, I really don't care what happens to them as they are probably doing more harm than good.

Thanks, again.

I let one live up the plot today - it was in one of its melanic forms and did not have the characteristic shades so I was not entirely sure what it was until I got home. 

I 'did' a ladies garden last Friday...lots of Halelquin larva about. (N.Belgium)

I have only seen adult Harlequins, which get squished. Thankfully no larvae.

Thanks for posting those pics RC, I've had ladybird larvae in my garden throughout the spring and mid summer, and thankfully they were not harlequins!  I wouldn't have known if you hadn't posted those pics!