Why the UK is seeing an increase in ladybirds as swarm stops play at Lord's
The influx of the creatures at Lord's on Thursday led to a brief pause in the fixture after they were proving too distractive for the players.
Ecologist and ladybird expert Professor Helen Roy, from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, said: 'Many species of aphid-feeding ladybird such as the seven-spot ladybird are being seen in very high numbers this year.
'This is a consequence of the high aphid numbers and warm weather.
'People are reporting many sightings to the UK Ladybird Survey through iRecord, which is fantastic.
'If people want to help insects and other wildlife in this weather they can leave shallow dishes with a little water for them. Also, we encourage people to leave the aphids in their garden on roses and other plants so there is plenty of food for ladybirds.'
Speaking after the first day of the third test, England's vice-captain Ollie Pope called it a first in the sport
'I've never seen that, no,' he said. 'That's a first that the crowd have got that today.'
Nevertheless, experts are encouraging people to learn to love the ladybirds.
Tim Coulson, professor of zoology and head of biology at the University of Oxford said: 'Warm weather means more aphids because they can complete each generation faster – insects, including ladybirds and aphids, tend to speed up their lives in warm weather.
'Ladybirds eat aphids, and an abundance of aphids mean ladybirds have a lot to eat.
'People should learn to love the ladybirds. They are effective predators of aphids, which can be a major pest of many plant species.
'Much in the way that wolves keep deer numbers in check in some parts of the world, ladybirds keep aphid numbers down.
'A swarm of ladybirds in a cricket game, even against India, should remind people of the role that predators play in keeping the ecology of earth in a healthy state.'
Dr Peter Brown, associate professor in ecology and conservation at Anglia Ruskin University, said the last 'boom year' for ladybirds was during the hot summer of 1976, although there have been years in between when there has been a rise but the locations have been more isolated.
'In 1976 there were a lot of seven-spot ladybirds on the beaches as they searched for food and people thought they were invading – they were not, as they are native to the UK,' he said.
Dr Brown, who is an organiser of the UK Ladybird Survey, added that the increase in numbers should be seen as a positive and the current warm conditions were the reason.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Animals dating back 10,000 years found in Arctic cave: ‘A rare snapshot of a vanished world'
The remains of animals dating back more than 10,000 years have been found in a cave in northern Norway providing the oldest example of an animal community living in the European Arctic region. Forty-six types of mammals were found, as well as fish and birds. The discovery, which includes polar bear, walrus, bowhead whale and Atlantic puffin, provides 'a rare snapshot of a vanished Arctic world', according to scientists. Also found were the remains of collared lemmings which are now extinct in Europe and had not been found in Scandinavia before. The team say the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), will help show how wildlife has responded to dramatic climate shifts in the past as the animal community dates to a warmer period of the ice age. DNA testing carried out for the research found that the lineages of the animals did not survive when colder conditions returned. Sam Walker, of Bournemouth University, said: 'These discoveries provide a rare snapshot of a vanished Arctic world. 'They also underscore how vulnerable cold-adapted species can be under changing climate conditions, which can help us to understand their resilience and extinction risk in the present.' The remains were found in the Arne Qvamgrotta cave which was first discovered in the 1990s when a local mining industry built a tunnel through the nearby mountain. But it was large excavations carried out in 2021 and 2022 which led to the discovery of the animals which also included common eider, rock ptarmigan and Atlantic cod. Professor Sanne Boessenkool, of the University of Oslo, said: 'We have very little evidence of what Arctic life was like in this period because of the lack of preserved remains over 10,000 years old. 'The cave has now revealed a diverse mix of animals in a coastal ecosystem representing both the marine and the terrestrial environment.' The researchers state that the variety of animals including migratory reindeer suggest the habitat would have been mostly ice-free at the time and the presence of freshwater fish meant there would have been lakes and rivers within tundra. There would also have been sea ice for the bowhead whales and walruses, although this would have been seasonal as the harbour porpoises found are known to avoid ice, the scientists say. The study suggests that although the animals had managed to colonise the region after the glaciers melted, their whole populations had died out as they had been unable to migrate when the ice returned. Dr Walker said: 'This highlights how cold-adapted species struggle to adapt to major climatic events. 'This has a direct link to the challenges they are facing in the Arctic today as the climate warms at a rapid pace. 'The habitats these animals in the region live in today are much more fractured than 75,000 years ago, so it is even harder for animal populations to move and adapt.' Prof Boessenkool added: 'It is also important to note that this was a shift to a colder, not a period of warming that we are facing today. 'And these are cold-adapted species, so if they struggled to cope with colder periods in the past, it will be even harder for these species to adapt to a warming climate.'
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Civilization collapse now 'inevitable' after chilling patterns in past empires are uncovered
The collapse of human civilization is now seen as inevitable, according to a research who said 5,000 years of history have exposed clear and alarming patterns. Dr Luke Kemp of the University of Cambridge found inequality, environmental damage, reckless leaders and fragile systems lead to ancient collapse, and every warning sign is currently flashing. ' We can't put a date on Doomsday, but by looking at the 5,000 years of [civilization], we can understand the trajectories we face today, and self-termination is most likely,' he told the Guardian. Kemp's new book, Goliath's Curse, details the rise and fall of ancient powers, including imperial China, Rome and the Classical Lowland Maya. While those collapses were often regional and survivable, Kemp said the next one will be global, and devastating. His research found that every fallen empire shared the same fatal traits, including top-heavy regimes dominated by elites, fueled by inequality and held together by violence. He referred to these societies as 'Goliaths,' vast, brittle power structures built on hoarded grain, monopolized weapons and populations trapped in place with nowhere to run. 'History is best told as a story of organized crime,' Kemp said. 'It is one group creating a monopoly on resources through the use of violence over a certain territory and population.' A research analyzed the rise and fall of more than 400 empires throughout history, uncovering alarming patterns that he said are visible today Kemp analyzed the rise and fall of more than 400 societies, coming to the theory that inequality kills civilizations. As elites extract wealth from the masses and destroy the environment, societies become hollow shells, vulnerable to war, disease and collapse. And it's not simple greed driving the fall, he said, but a small number of individuals exhibiting the 'dark triad' of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism. These toxic traits, found in past ruling classes, are now surfacing in global leadership, The Guardian reported. Kemp named Donald Trump as the narcissist, Vladimir Putin as the psychopath, and Xi Jinping as the Machiavellian, claiming the most powerful leaders on Earth now embody the very traits that historically trigger collapse. One of the most consistent red flags Kemp found through hundreds of collapsed societies was extreme inequality. In ancient empires, wealth and power became concentrated among a small elite while the majority were left impoverished and burdened. Kemp said today's widening wealth gap and corporate monopolies mirror that pattern, eroding social cohesion and weakening resilience. Another alarming parallel was humanity's total dependence on complex, global systems. In the past, people could return to hunting or farming when governments fell. Now, most humans rely on fragile global supply chains, if they collapse, everything collapses, Kemp warned. Environmental destruction was also following the same trajectory. Historical collapses were often preceded by regional climate shifts of just 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists now project a global rise of 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more, along with massive deforestation and resource depletion. Kemp also warned the next collapse could be far more violent as in the past, power struggles were fought with swords or muskets. That is because the the modern world has more than 10,000 nuclear weapons, and far more destructive technology. Kemp outlined three reasons why the next collapse could be far more devastating than anything humanity has faced before. First is elite violence. In the past, power struggles were fought with swords or muskets. Today, world leaders have access to more than 10,000 nuclear weapons. Second is our dependence on complex systems. Ancient populations could return to farming or hunting to survive. But modern societies rely heavily on fragile global supply chains, if they fail, we fall with them, he shared. Third is the scale of the threats themselves. Historical climate shifts typically involved a one-degree change. While past collapses sometimes led to better conditions, healthier, taller, and freer populations after empire fell, Kemp warns that today's single, globalized system leaves nowhere to hide.
The Guardian
43 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Strong winds cause power cuts and travel disruption as Storm Floris batters the UK
Gusts of more than 100mph have brought travel disruption, power cuts and the widespread cancellation of events across large parts of the UK. Central and northern Scotland were most affected on Monday, amid the kind of problems normally seen on a stormy winter's day. Met Office data showed a gust of 134mph was recorded at the summit of Cairn Gorm in the Highlands, 1,245 metres above sea level. The strongest gust away from mountains was 80mph at South Uist
