Water Ladybird
Anisosticta novemdecimpunctata
Type
Insect: BeetleStatus
CommonWidespreadSeason
Spring
Summer The Water Ladybird can be found on tall plants, including Reeds Reedmace, Reed Sweet-grass and rushes, at the water's edge.
There are a whopping 26 types of ladybird in the UK, from the commonest Seven-spot Ladybird, and Harlequin Ladybird (a non-native Asian species first spotted here in the early 2000s), to the rarer 22-spot Ladybird.
However, look out for Water Ladybirds in wetland areas like the Montgomery Canal. They're active from April to late summer and like other ladybirds they feed on aphids, so can be found on waterside rushes.
Elongated and flattened in shape, this ladybird changes colour in autumn from red to beige/ochre colour.
It's also known as the 19-spot ladybird, though its number of spots actually varies from 15-21. It's about 3.5mm-5mm in size.