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Bugs on Victoria plums
armeria
Posts: 22
I have found lots of red & black soft round bugs with their heads embedded in our unripe Victoria plums - like ticks do. I don't think they are ladybird larvae, which are longer and more black than red. Anyone know what they are?
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Posts
Here is one of the bugs on the plums
I can't see them very clearly - could they be Harlequin ladybirds? I've found this quote that says they eat fruit when aphids are scarce
"....The harlequin ladybird can also damage fruit crops by feeding on the fruits in autumn, when aphids become scarce ...." http://www.arkive.org/harlequin-ladybird/harmonia-axyridis/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks for replying, but its definitely not any kind of ladybird, as its soft and squidgy when you try and get them off the plums. It doesn't look as though it has wings either.
Have a look at these Harlequin ladybird larva & pupa
http://www.harlequin-survey.org/images/ladybird_imgs/Harlequin_larva_pupa1339_MartinHoney_large.jpg
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Here is a better photo - I don't know how it went in twice.
Aha - yes the top one is it. Is that the pupa. So is it glued onto the plum waiting to hatch into a harlequin ladybird? In which case, I don't need to worry about it?
Thank you Dovefromabove.
I imagine it's something we're going to be getting used to seeing ....
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.