Agapanthia villosoviridescens (Deg.) is a large (10–22mm) longhorn beetle which develops in the stems of thistles and a range of common umbelliferae. Formerly very localised and, in Suffolk, chiefly found in the Breck, it has recently been occurring in new areas of Suffolk as well as nationally. The beetle photographed was attracted to a MV moth trap run by Richard Stockton this summer and is shown sitting on an egg box from the trap which gives an idea of its size. The beetle is not one which is well-known to be attracted to light - unlike Odontaeus armiger photographed and reported from a MV trap in this year’s forthcoming Suffolk Natural History - and I suspect the Agapanthia was in the immediate vicinity of the lamp and simply crawled to it.

Until this year, I was only aware of one coastal record from the county. On May 20 2007, Colin Jacobs found and retained an Agapanthia on the Carlton Marshes SWT Reserve. In recent years, almost certainly as a result of global warming, an increasing number of continental insects are establishing themselves in this country. There are some 21 species of Agapanthia on the European mainland (many of which superficially resemble villosoviridescens) and at least one of these viz. cardui, given its distribution, could establish itself in this country as a result of migration. When asked, Colin readily sent me the beetle to check but it proved to be villosoviridescens. No matter – the next one sent to me may not be!

Martin Sanford at SBRC tells me that he is receiving plenty of harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) enquiries this autumn often as a result of the beetles entering houses in search of over-wintering sites. Harlequins are especially prolific in the autumn and two years ago adults were still emerging from pupae at Brantham in mid-December. Since this spring, I have had harlequins on a recently pruned sallow in my garden. They were feeding on the very large black aphid Pterocomma salicis - black with white spots and bright red legs- a species which occurs on 2-year old shoots of Salix spp. As a result, I have been able to observe the interaction of the harlequin adults and their larvae with the other ladybirds present on the tree, namely 7-spot, 2-spot, 10-spot and the so-called Pine ladybird (Exochomus quadripustulatus) which, despite its popular name, also frequently develops on deciduous trees. Harlequins were, on more than one occasion, observed feeding on their own pupae but appeared to ignore pupae of Exochomus observed on the trunk. Immature adults of all species were observed later in the year.

As every good naturalist knows, being a vigilant observer as often as possible in all situations, especially in the right places at the right times, yields results. In August, 2006 a male Harlequin was photographed by Steven Pascoe mating with a female 2-spot in a field of winter beans in Norfolk and the details passed on to Mike Majerus and Peter Brown. An account of the significance of this find has recently appeared (A.E.S. Bulletin 66, August, 2007 pp. 156–159).Whilst this mating is in itself noteworthy, it is especially so in this particular case given the concerns expressed about the possible long-term adverse effects of the harlequin upon our native ladybirds. The 2-spot ladybird is host to a sexually transmitted mite Coccipolipus hippodamiae which is known to occur only in this country on the highly localised, scarce 7-spot (Cocinella magnifica) which occurs in and around the nests of ants (especially those of the wood ant, Formica rufa).The mite lives under the elytra of the ladybird and sucks haemolymph (“blood”) from the ladybird. The female mites lay eggs under the elytra and nymphs hatching from these can be transferred to another ladybird during mating. The mites cause a female to become sterile within three weeks of becoming infected.

The mite is common in parts of Europe where 2-spots have two or three generations a year facilitating mating between generations. In Britain, the 2-spot often has only one generation per year. Adults over-winter and as there is little or no mating between the over-wintered, aged adults and their offspring, mites cannot be passed on. If the European population of the harlequin were to become infected with the mite as a result of mating with 2-spots and if the mites caused sterility in female harlequins then, theoretically, there is the potential for the number of harlequins to be severely reduced. The chance of the mite spreading from our scarce 7- spot population to the harlequin is remote but harlequins from the continent are frequently arriving in Britain either having flown over the Channel, or else, been imported with produce. If some of these are infected with the mite, they could pass it on to our established population of harlequins. Biologists are now planning to investigate whether the harlequin is susceptible to the mite and what, if any, effect it has upon its reproduction.

Acknowledgements
Sincere thanks to Colin Jacobs and Richard Stockton for their useful records.