• Question: are black ladybirds dangerous

    Asked by jackh13 to Dilwar, Lou, Rachel, Simon, Susan on 12 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Rachel Dakin

      Rachel Dakin answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      I’ve seen black ladybirds before so I hope not!
      I think there were reports of them biting people this summer. It was so hot and dry that they were desperate for liquid and thought our skin might be a good place to find it. Luckily in the UK most insect bites are harmless so they should just be washed well. If you were to see a large reaction on the skin or start to feel unwell after a bite then you should always get medical help just in case.

    • Photo: Simon Langley-Evans

      Simon Langley-Evans answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      No they aren’t dangerous jackh13, unless you are a greenfly. Black ladybirds, like the usual red ones live only on the small insects that feed off the sap of growing plants. In the UK there are actually more than 20 different types of ladybird and there are two that are always black- the pine ladybird and the kidney spot ladybird. Some other types of ladybird have different coloured forms, just as humans may be of different colours. The harlequin ladybird is an example which is usually orange with black spots, but can also be black with red spots.

      Ladybirds do sometimes bite, whether they are the black ones or the usual red ones. Ladybird bites are quite painful, but they aren’t poisonous or any worse than being bitten by an ant.

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