Around Montmorillon

Can anyone help identify this bug please? I've searched the internet and a couple of bug sites but can't seem to find an exact match.

It's on a creeping ivy weed thing, we haven't found any in the garden so I'm leaving them till I found out what they are. I'm thinking some type of caterpillar as he has 6 legs at the front, but I need to find out if they're good or bad for the garden.

Sorry not great photos but it's the best I could get with my little camera if you zoom in you can see them better.







Edit a zoomed in image.

It reminds me of something I saw on Dr Who? once.
The Natural History Museum in London has this very useful forum to help with identification. I've used it a couple of times and it was very good.
I hope it's good for the garden...

(Sun-04-06-2017, 18:54 PM)Bhouse Wrote: [ -> ]It reminds me of something I saw on Dr Who? once.
The Natural History Museum in London has this very useful forum to help with identification. I've used it a couple of times and it was very good.
I hope it's good for the garden...

Thank you Brian I have finally tracked it down after a lot of research and it's a baddie that neds to be destroyed.

Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata (aka Squash Beetle, Bryony Ladybird, 28 spotted leaf eating ladybird)

I thought all Ladybirds were good, but this one will munch happily away on your Veg so watch out.

My job tomorrow is to go squishing them.

Apparently if a Ladybird has a black head it is good, if the head is not black then you must destroy it if you grow veg.

Interesting. I would never have taken those things as potential ladybird look a likes.

One point though - the Latin name means "24 spotted" rather than 28. How carefully should we be counting the spots?

(Sun-04-06-2017, 22:36 PM)Bhouse Wrote: [ -> ]Interesting. I would never have taken those things as potential ladybird look a likes.

One point though - the Latin name means "24 spotted" rather than 28. How carefully should we be counting the spots?

Well as the larvae don't have any spots yet I will just squish any that get in my way.  

As for counting the spots, after a few glasses of Merlot they all look the same to me. But Black headed ones are Ok so I should spot the good ones.    

I never understood Latin, it's all double Dutch to me.

Been hunting today and found a lot. Decided to chuck them in soapy water rather than squish them as they squirt out green gunk.



So far none found in the poly tunnel. But I think it's something to watch out for and hunting will continue till we're happy they have gone.

Oh and this is what they done overnight.

Busy little b.... bees, aren't they?

(Mon-05-06-2017, 13:28 PM)Bhouse Wrote: [ -> ]Busy little b.... bees, aren't they?

And if anyone wants to know what lurks beneath the Bryony plant, here is another one I found at the bottom of the garden.



Be warned it spreads like hell and helps raise veg eating ladybirds.

Well that's spoilt their day

(Tue-06-06-2017, 14:25 PM)Jiml Wrote: [ -> ]Well that's spoilt their day