14 Spot ladybird - Propylea quattuordecimpunctata
Alt Name
Fourteen Spot Ladybird
Description
The most common yellow and black ladybird, though there is much variation in the amount of each colour and the shape of the spots.
Identification difficulty

Habitat
All habitats.
When to see it
It is common on shrubs and is active from May to September.
Life History
If handled they exude orange liquid from their joints. This is actually a form of controlled bleeding which stains the hands and is very pungent. Adults and larvae feed on aphids and are useful in keeping these down.
UK Status
Common in England and Wales at least.
VC55 Status
Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 439 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
Enter a town or village to see local records
MAP KEY:
Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015