Seven spot ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata.
Probably the most well known beetle in the UK. The red body with black spots acts as a warning to predators that they taste awful. They feed both on aphids and scale insects and vegetation matter and fungi. There are 6,000 known species of Ladybird. The UK seven spot is becoming vastly outnumbered by another species – the Harlequin. Also shown in the picture is the larvae of the Seven spot.
