LA Times:In search of the 'lost ladybug'
"people across North America and Mexico who have become absorbed in an effort called the Lost Ladybug Project, which Cornell University entomologist John Losey started 12 years ago to document the insects and determine why some species are declining."
Science NewsDaily: Invasive Alien Predator Causes Rapid Declines of European Ladybugs
"A particularly dramatic decline in the 2-spot ladybird was noted, showing a decline by 30% in Belgium and 44% in Britain over the five years following the arrival of the Harlequin. Similar patterns of decline were found in ladybird abundance data (number of individuals) collated from systematic surveys of deciduous trees in Belgium, Britain and Switzerland. The 2-spot ladybird is now near the threshold of detection in habitats in which it was previously common."
Coccinula quatuordecimpustulata
Lost Ladybug Project
help Cornell find the lost ladybugs that are vanishing form our world... now is the i time when hey emerge from wintering and can be found in large groups. See how many different ladybirds you can find.
European ladybirds
Coccinellidae of Germany
Cream-spot and 7-spot
Calvia quatuordecimguttata
Coccinella septempunctata
Biolib.cz Coccinellidae image directory
http://www.biolib.cz/en/gallery/dir86/
Coccinula quatuordecimpustulata
Harmonia axyridis melanic variant--white cheek patches are giveaway and red legs.