Oak Ladybird Scymnus auritus
Other name: Oak Scymnus
This species is strongly associated with oaks, but can be tricky to locate.
Identification Length 2.0-2.3mm
A mostly black species with a wide oval shape when viewed from above and highly domed across the wing cases when viewed from the front.
The legs are reddish brown.
Males have an orangey-red face and front edge to the pronotum, (section behind the head).
Females lack the red colour at the front.
The distinctive feature is the red tip to the rear abdomen. This can sometimes be seen protruding beyond the end of the wing cases, otherwise visible when the underside is examined. This feature can be hard to see on some of the darkest specimens.
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, South Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Distinctive reddish tip to abdomen Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, North Essex
With Conifer Ladybird
With Arboreal Ladybird
Small size apparent on palm of hand
Larva. Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Larva. Abbey Gardens, Waltham Abbey, North Essex
Larva. Abbey Gardens, Waltham Abbey, North Essex
Larva with 10-spot Ladybird
Pupae on underside of oak leaf.
Male Upshire, North Essex
Habitat
Strongly associated with oaks.
Small oak in pine copse
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Small oak amongst willows
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, North Essex
Oak tree branch growing through Scots Pine tree
Woodredon, Epping Forest, North Essex
Oak tree in tall mixed hedgerow
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Small oak in sheltered ride
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, South Essex
South facing oak
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Photo by Mark Hows
Oak tree in hedgerow
Conard Mere, West Suffolk
Prey
I have beaten a lot of oak branches without seeing this species, so it can require quite a lot of effort to find.
Prior to 2019 I had only found it on one reliable branch at Fishers Green, Essex.
This small tree produced records during 2015-2017 and 2019, with a maximum of 12 on one day and also one larva. This sort of site fidelity is typical of inconspicuous ladybirds.
In 2019 I found two more sites nearby, both on low branches of small oaks.
The Micro ladybirds of Britain and Ireland Guide by Maria Justamond and David W Williams published in 2025 provided very useful information on locating the prey of Oak Ladybirds which has changed how I search for this species.
Oak Ladybirds feed on Phylloxera which form distinctive spotting on oak leaves.
Spotting on top of oak leaves caused by Phylloxera damage
Spotting on top of oak leaves caused by Phylloxera damage
Underside of oak leaf with many tiny yellow Phylloxera
Underside of oak leaf with many tiny yellow Phylloxera
Egg laying Phylloxera on underside of oak leaf
Phylloxera are very small, just visible to the naked eye. They are yellow or orange and cause spotting on the tops of the leaves due to feeding damage.
Two larvae on underside of leaf with Phylloxera
Whilst it is still worth checking any oaks for Oak Ladybird, keeping an eye out for obvious Phylloxera damage will help narrow the search.
If you notice a tree with obvious leaf spotting, then turning over a few leaves will quickly establish if Phylloxera are present on the leaf undersides. If this is the case then Oak Ladybird larvae can often be found quite easily, with a peak in June. I have also had adults walk onto my hand whilst leaf turning, though beating might be needed to find the adults.
Additional photographs
Woodredon, Epping Forest, North Essex
Woodredon, Epping Forest, North Essex
Woodredon, Epping Forest, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, South Essex
Photo by Mark Hows
Conard Mere, West Suffolk
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Fishers Green, Lee Valley, North Essex
Sewardstone, Lee Valley, South Essex
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, Sewardstone, South Essex
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, Sewardstone, South Essex
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, Sewardstone, South Essex
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, Sewardstone, South Essex
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, Sewardstone, South Essex
Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley, Sewardstone, South Essex
Beaten from Euonymus shrub
Upshire, North Essex
Beaten from Euonymus shrub
Upshire, North Essex
Waltham Abbey, North Essex
