This is Ireland’s largest species, being only slightly larger than the Harlequin and Striped Ladybirds. It has a red-orange or red background colour with 16 black spots, often with yellowish rings giving the species its common name.
Distribution in Ireland: Widespread but local in Ireland. Seemingly scarce or absent from much of Connacht and the northwest, although this may represent a lack of recording here..
Habitat: A conifer specialist which is restricted to coniferous and mixed woodland, conifer plantations and parkland.
Habits: A predatory species which feeds on large conifer-dwelling adelgids. It exists primarily in Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock and other conifers, including pines and even more exotic species like Coast Redwood. In mid-summer, adults and larvae may descend and be found on nearby herbaceous vegetation and deciduous trees, which is when they are more easily found by visually searching. Beating the lower branches of coniferous trees can also be productive for finding this species. Overwintering sites in Ireland include the branch tips of needled conifers, as well as Ivy growing around the base of these trees. It reportedly uses leaf litter or the upper layers of soil elsewhere.
