It was brought to our attention during our weekly staff meeting that Ireland has been invaded by an alien Asian ladybird! While the headline in the papers may have been funny and had some of us thinking that it was a joke, the truth was far more worrying.....
A Ladybird native to Asia has been spotted at two locations in IReland and poses a threat to the country's "unique biodiversity".
The Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) was found for the first time last month at sites in Co Cork and Co Wicklow.
According to Colette O'Flynn from the National Biodiversity Data Centre "If the Harlequin Ladybird becomes established, it will lead to a decline, and in some cases, the extinction of some of our 15 native ladybird species.
The Harlequin Ladybird is native to Asia and is considered an invasive alien species in Eurpoe and North America. It may have arrived in Ireland on imported vegetables, fruit or plants. The sightings were reported by members of the public in COrk city and Ashford, CO. Wicklow, who found the insect in their homes.
Ms O' Flynn said the specimens found could represent the tip of the iceberg in terms of a new invasion to the island of Ireland.
It is variable in colour - from yellow to orange to red; can have up to 20 spots and at "6-8 milimetres long they tend to be larger and more domed than most native ladybirds", said Ms O'Flynn, calling for people to report sightings.
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