How to recognise different types of ladybird from quite a long way away

[Vermis]

Number one - the larch ladybird.



The larch ladybird.

Number two - the larch ladybird.



The larch... ladybird...

Slightly more seriously. Never saw these before (or never noticed), went out to work in the garden today, looked down, and it's on my T-shirt. The larch ladybird (or ladybug, as you prefer), Aphidecta obliterata. I guess this is the irish form without elytral spots.

I took it as a chance to test how close my new camera could focus and... it's not great. Time to shop macro lenses.

 

[The wolf]

Nice i love the angles.i had always read about these but never seen one I didn't know they had a form with elytral spots.