Bug

Thank goodness for my little ladybird here - I would have been in trouble today otherwise as time has been short.

Not been the greatest of Sundays as we are still trawling thro' the office paperwork but managed to take MIL out to lunch which would have been fine if her intruder alarm didn't choose to play up after we got her home, with a bug in the system. One hour later after frustratingly pressing every button in every sequence known to man, Hubs finally got it set ..... hurrah!!

Scooting round onto another post of ivy I found what I am pretty sure is a Harlequin ladybird; identified by their orange legs and black W shape on the mainly white pronotum (the bit behind the head). The edge of their shell is quite orangey. The first ones were seen in 2004 over here but with a voracious appetite they eat our native ladybirds, butterflies and lacewings so are a massive problem. When they settle they leave a scent which they use to find their way back if you take them out of your garden! They hibernate in cracks in rocks and trees but also can end up inside your house. Not a good bug to have around! After I'd checked on the internet for the ID I went back to find it but it had disappeared - it's probably thinking itself very lucky at this moment :)