Red-flanked Ladybird Scymnus interruptus

Other name: Red-flanked Scymnus

This is a common garden specialist that is difficult to find in open countryside.

I regularly find it in garden wheelie bins containing prunings from evergreen shrubs, but they can also be found by beating ornamental garden shrubs.

The typical form is black with a red triangle on each wing case.

The light form has the reddish brown colour extending over most of the wing case.

All forms have reddish legs and antennae.

Red-flanked Ladybirds are probably sexually dimorphic, with most females having an all black face and pronotum, whilst most males have a red face and pronotum sides, although the intensity of the markings vary.

Identification Length 1.5-2.2mm

Typical form (About 90% of my records)

Very distinctive. Black with a red triangle on each wing case.

Diagnostically these reach the side of the wing case and even extend to the underside edge (the epipleuron).

The size of the red triangle is variable.

Broxbourne, Hertfordshire

Chingford, South Essex

Chingford, South Essex

Thundridge, Hertfordshire

Exeter, South Devon

Exeter, South Devon

Waltham Abbey, North Essex

Underside showing red epipleuron

Showing small size

With 2-spot Ladybird

With 22-spot Ladybird

With Forestier's Ladybird

Upshire, North Essex

Light form (About 10% of my records)

These have the reddish brown colour covering most of the wing case, except for a dark central line extending from a dark area behind the pronotum and are confusable with Conifer Ladybird.

Red-flanked Ladybird is a wider robust species, compared to the narrower Conifer Ladybird.

The red epipleuron is still the diagnostic feature to look for.

Thundridge, Hertfordshire

Upshire, North Essex

Nazeing, North Essex

Waltham Abbey, North Essex

Nazeing, North Essex

Minorca, Spain

Upshire, North Essex

Diagnostic red epipleuron

With Harlequin Ladybird

With Arboreal Ladybird

Intermediate Form

A small number are intermediate between the two forms, with an almost continuous range of variation.

Minorca, Spain

Upshire, North Essex

Chingford, South Essex

Chingford, South Essex

Upshire, North Essex

Waltham Abbey, North Essex

Upshire, North Essex

Upshire, North Essex

Variation and Forms

Habitat

Can be common in garden evergreen shrubs, especially Euonymus, Privet, Viburnum tinus, Firethorn and Ivy.

One of the restrictions on recording this species is gaining access to private gardens. Many of my records are due to the fact that I work as a gardener.

It is likely to occur in ornamental planting in parks, car parks and other public spaces.

I have found it by eye on an ivy covered fence outside Loughton Underground Station, Essex and on Firethorn in supermarket utility planting in Waltham Abbey, Essex.

Viburnum tinus. Waltham Abbey, North Essex

Ivy covered fence. Waltham Abbey, North Essex

Ivy covered fence Exeter, South Devon

Euonymus. Upshire, North Essex

Euonymus. Waltham Abbey, North Essex

Firethorn in supermarket utility planting
Waltham Abbey, North Essex

Firethorn in supermarket utility planting
Waltham Abbey, North Essex

Can also be found in deciduous trees and shrubs, including Oak and Wiegela.

Oak tree. Royal Tunbridge Wells, West Kent

Wiegela. Upshire, North Essex

Red-flanked Ladybird can also be found in low herbage, including Lamb's-ear and Black Horehound.

Black Horehound Upshire, North Essex

Rare colour form

Telfer (2015) reports the presence in the UK of Red-flanked Ladybirds with a pale patch that does not extend to the side margins. I have not seen one like this but if found these could easily be confused with Angle-spot Ladybird.

I have photographed a probable one in Spain, but with a range of other possible species identifications on the continent are even more complicated than in the UK.

Calan Bosh, Minorca, Spain

Calan Bosh, Minorca, Spain

A Red-flanked Ladybird with a red patch not reaching the wing case sides is likely to be confusable with Angle-spot Ladybird, due to the lack of a red epipleuron.

However, the shape of the two species is quite different.

Red-flanked is a short rounded species, whilst Angle-spot is a longer narrower species.

The above photos show a short rounded species that with experience looks like a Red-flanked Ladybird, especially as the spots are so large.

If unsure the underside can be checked, Angle-spot has a groove along the centre of the metasternum, this feature is absent on Red-flanked.