top of page
12-spot Ladybird Vibidia duodecimguttata
Historical records from England and Scotland in the early 20th century and earlier.
12-spot Ladybird was removed from the Irish list of ladybirds, Power et al (2025), as all historic records were considered unconfirmed.
Identification Length 3.0-4.0mm
Similar to Orange Ladybird but has a distinctive circle of six white dots in the centre of the wing cases, similar to the spinning circle on a buffering internet video.
12-spot Ladybird is smaller than both Orange and White-spot Ladybirds.
Three people have recorded this species on their Bubo Pan Species List, but with no details of date or location.
A photograph of a typical example of this species can be found on the German website https://www.kerbtier.de
The following photos were taken by Mark Hows in Italy and show two examples of specimens with extensive fused spots. These may be more common in southern warmer climates.
Photo by Mark Hows
Superga, Near Turin, Italy
Attracted to a moth trap this individual has partially fused spots but the distinctive ring of six central spots is still apparent.
Photo by Mark Hows
Superga, near Turin, Italy
Photo by Mark Hows
Superga, near Turin, Italy
Photo by Mark Hows
Superga, near Turin, Italy
An extreme example with white spots fused to the point of covering most of the wing cases.
Habitat
Feeds on mildew on deciduous trees, similar to Orange Ladybird.
Could reoccur as a migrant, careful checking of all Orange and White-spot Ladybirds, especially in coastal locations may produce the next record.
bottom of page