The Anonymous Widower

A Loveliness of Ladybirds

This collective noun came up on BBC Breakfast this morning.  It seems that it might be dubious, but after the hoards of Harlequin ladybirds this autumn, that the collective noun may stick.

But I’m not a lover of these Asian imports, which could wipe out a lot of our familiar species.  Helen Roy, an expert on ladybirds said this.

“We believe that the negative impacts of the harlequin on Britain will be far-reaching and disruptive, with the potential to affect over a thousand of our native species,” she said. “It’s a big and voracious predator, it will eat lots of different insects, soft fruit and all kinds of things.”

It shows the danger of allowing alien species to be introduced into an environment.  Grey squirrels being the worst example in the UK.  There’s a full list here in Wikipedia.

I don’t like the name of loveliness for Harlequin ladybirds.

November 3, 2009 - Posted by AnonW | World | Animals, Insects