Cream-streaked Lady Beetle

Description:

It can reach a length of 5.5 - 6 mm. The coloration is very variable. Usually they are colored bright red or yellow and have eight black dots on the elytra, with basal and lateral pale stripes. Some individuals with greatly expanded dark patches appear almost completely black. Multiple spots on the body (also 16–18) are common, while the drawings on the pronotum are less variable. On the pronotum they usually have 11 black spots on a light background, with four larger black spots in the middle. This species is quite similar to Harmonia axyridis, but with this species the small distinct humps before elytral apex and the M-like black painting on the pronotum, common in the reddish colored specimen, are absent. The period of activity extend from March to October. These beetles over-winter in communities under the bark of various deciduous and coniferous trees such as pines and poplars.

Habitat:

It is widespread from northern to southern Europe. In the British Isles the four-spot ladybird is found only sporadically. The species is also present in the Eastern Palaearctic ecozone and in the Near East. These ladybirds live in pine forests from the lowlands to the hills. I have found it walking under the fig tree in my garden which is as usually fully covered with aphids, I guess it was having a proper big meal ;)

Notes:

ID with help of this site that for to me unknown reason (as many other truly useful pages cannot be added as link in reference): http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxontree/id1081...