Harlequins under attack

Val explains how scientists have found that a parasitic wasp has been targeting harlequin ladybirds in the UK

- Val Bourne

LOCKDOWN has really made me appreciate my garden and I thank the Lord that the weather has been kind. We’ve had lots of April sunshine, so everything is about two weeks earlier than usual. My Paeonia rockii seedling, for instance, which is a vivid-pink aberration of the real thing, usually coincides with the Malvern Spring Show, but it’s a fortnight early this year.

I’ve seen plenty of seven-spot ladybirds, although I’m not sure whether they had a supply of aphids to consume. The earliest aphids are often found on stinging nettles and on the leafy undersides of weeds like shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris). Don’t remove them or spray them, even with so-called organic and green garlic sprays, because these aphids make valuable food for nesting birds.