Science - Asian ladybug knocks stone bumblebee off its throne

BERLIN (DPA) – For the first time ever, the Asian ladybird is No. 1 among the most visited insects in Germany. The spotted pest has displaced the perennial front runner, the stone bumblebee, announced the Union for Conservation of Nature (NABO) on Thursday.

In 1813 the Asian ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) insect was observed during the summer, which was the action of the Count of Naboo. The stone bumblebee came only for 1699 sightings. The Grove Hover Fly took third place with 1427 reports to conservationists.

Experts make changes to the top mainly due to weather. “Because of the very cold and humid spring, the Asian ladybird was only able to start breeding relatively late. In the first counting period in June, adults were particularly active and were seen more often than larvae and pupae, which were not was the case last year,” said Laura Breitkreuz, a pest expert at Naboo.

However, spring weather conditions also made bumblebees and wasps to forage. The flowering of many plants decreased during the cold period. This also meant that there was less food for bumblebee and wasp queens, who actually built nests and found new colonies during this time. Many of them died. This means that fewer offspring are reared in the summer. Therefore the number of sightings of some species has been reduced by half. “So it could be that 2021 will not be a wasp year,” Breitkreuz said.

Naboo moth summer is divided into two counting periods: one in June and one in August. According to Naboo, 9,060 people took part in the June campaign, which has now been assessed, 690 more than in June last year.

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