There are many different species of the Ladybird, but one is getting a bit too big for its boots.
The Harlequin Ladybird, which originates in Asia, was first spotted in the UK in 2004, but now it's posing a severe threat to its European cousins.
Our reporter Mike Sergeant was live in Cambridge with Dr Mike Majerus and they looked at some of the different species of ladybirds.
Variety
The situation is confused by the variety of ladybird species. There are more than 40 types of Britain's most popular flying beetle.
 The 22 spot ladybird is one more than 40 species in the UK |
The Harlequin is mostly confined to the south east but it is seen as a real threat to the native species.
It is an extremely voracious predator that easily out-competes native ladybirds for food.
It is so successful that while native ladybird numbers dwindle, the Harlequin
ladybird flourishes.
What you can do to help
Today scientists from Cambridge University are launching a UK wide survey and are calling on gardeners, farmers or anyone with an interest in wildlife to look in trees, bushes and plants and make a note of the species of ladybird they see.
You can also send your survey details by post to:
UK Ladybird Survey
Biological Records Centre
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Monks Wood
Abbots Ripton
Cambridgeshire
PE28 2LS
Phone line
You can also find out more by calling the UK Ladybird Team
01487 772 400
They will be able to provide information and paper survey forms, so you don't have to complete the survey online
When their preferred food of greenfly and scale insects is not available the harlequin readily preys on native ladybirds and other insects such as butterfly eggs, caterpillars and lacewing larvae.
Harlequin ladybirds are also partial to soft fruit, particularly pears.
Introduced from Asia into North America to control plant pests, the harlequin has spread across the States, becoming by far the commonest ladybird in less than 20 years. In France, Belgium and Holland numbers are soaring annually.
Dr Michael Majerus of Cambridge University said "The harlequin is a deadly
threat to our own British ladybirds.
"We need to monitor them closely in order to assess the spread and impact of the insect.
"Dormant throughout the winter, ladybirds awake in March and April and begin
looking for partners to mate with."
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