Bright red ladybirds spell danger

Flora Graham, deputy editor, newscientist.com

(Image: Jan Stipala)

The bright red colour of this luscious ladybird is more than just a lucky omen - especially to predators. Its vibrancy indicates that it contains more poisonous toxins than its paler peers.

A richer red is linked to a good diet in early life, says new research from
Jon Blount of the University of Exeter, UK. Blount and his colleagues found that better-fed ladybirds are more visible - and more deadly. It's the first time that scientists have linked individual differences in a species' warning signals - such as the intensity of a specific ladybird's red hue - to levels of toxicity.

The researchers hand-reared ladybirds on different diets to measure how their food affects their looks and their defences.

Even if you're not a ladybird predator, the innocent-looking bug can have some brutal effects. Separate research published this week revealed that the invasive non-native harlequin ladybird is decimating European species.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1c78905e/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cshortsharpscience0C20A120C0A20Credder0Eladybirds0Espell0Edanger0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

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