This Orange Ladybird appeared while I was photographing fungus. I quickly put away the 7D with 35mm macro and took out the 40D with MPE. I looked in my bag for my home-made diffuser and was annoyed with myself for having left it at home. I was well aware that the light was going to be harsh but I tried to limit the damage by firing the flash on a low setting and underexposing. Not ideal but at least I avoided blown highlights on the highly reflective Ladybird shell.

The Orange 16 Spotted Ladybird is a large ladybird that feeds on mildew (fungus) on trees, particularly Sycamore. It hibernates in leaf litter or in sheltered locations. According to my field guide it is seen from April to October. So I’m really fortunate at having captured this wonderful specimen as early as 19th February! This along with my early sighting of a Red Admiral on 8th February would indicate that perhaps global warming is contributing to earlier insect emergences in the UK.