A medium-sized species which is similar to the 18-spot but is somewhat larger and brighter with 14 uniform cream spots. It could also be mistaken for the Orange Ladybird, but the ground colour is darker and it lacks the translucent pronotum and elytra.
Distribution in Ireland: Widespread and fairly common throughout.
Habitat: Found in a wide variety of habitats, as long as these have deciduous trees. This can include parks, gardens, deciduous and mixed woodlands, scrub, riverbanks, margins of bogs and dune systems.
Habits: A predatory species which feeds on aphids and psyllids. It is generally only found on deciduous trees (such as Ash, oaks, Sycamore and willows) but it is occasionally encountered on conifers. It may occasionally descend from these trees and be seen on herbaceous vegetation below. Overwintering sites are varied but include crevices in bark, dense needled conifers, leaf litter, among Ivy and inside old Beech nuts. This species can be difficult to encounter if relying solely on visually searching, so beating lower branches of trees can be much more productive.
