Epaulet Ladybird Rhyzobius chrysomeloides

Other names: Round-keeled Rhyzobius

This is the commonest ladybird in my recording area, occurring in pine trees, Ivy and ornamental evergreen shrubs.

It is also the only species that I can find, almost at will, on any day of the year.

It occurs in every local garden with ornamental shrubs that I have searched.

It can easily be found wintering in Ivy, using a beating tray. A useful project during the quiet months of November-February.

Identification Length 2.5-3.5mm

A brown, long-bodied oval species with long antennae.

Epaulet Ladybird has a reputation for being easily confused with Meadow Ladybird but I consider the majority to be identifiable in the field.

The ground colour varies from light oak to deep chestnut.

The diagnostic feature is a pale curved stripe across the top of the wing cases.

This is sometimes reduced to a small pale patch on the shoulder area, similar to epaulets. In the most distinctive individuals the curved stripe continues as two stripes running either side of the wing case centre line, forming a pair of tramlines.

On many individuals the wing case tips are a distinctive pale grey.

The sides of the pronotum, (between the head and wing cases), are strongly curved, sometimes forming a right angle on the corners and the rear edges are often straight and nearly parallel sided.

The complicated pattern of black lines on the rear two thirds of the wing cases, although variable, follow a basic template, as shown above.

Wing case pattern

The majority are a dark chestnut ground colour, although some are a paler oak colour and a few are very dark.

A distinctive feature on many individuals is a pale curved mark on each shoulder area, an epaulet, which often combine to form a continuous pale curve.

A typical specimen: A deep chestnut colour with blackish markings and an orange curved epaulet across the shoulders Waltham Abbey, Essex

A paler individual but still showing a faint pale shoulder stripe Fishers Green, Lee Valley, Essex

A light oak colour but pattern still distinctive Waltham Abbey, Essex

Very pale with faint epaulet stripe Thundridge, Herts

Very dark with an eye catching pale curved stripe Upshire, Essex

The most distinctive individuals have the pale curved stripe extending down either side of the wing case central line, forming a pair of tramlines.

This pattern is very obvious and eye catching and is often the form that attracts an observer when first discovering this species. These are unlike any Meadow Ladybirds and are very easy to identify.

Very distinctive pale central lines diverging slightly

Upshire, Essex

Central lines running parallel to each other

Upshire, Essex

Central lines separated from epaulet patches

Sawbridgeworth, Herts

Pale but with distinctive pattern

Waltham Abbey, Essex

Nazeing, Essex

Upshire, Essex

Turnford, Lee Valley, Herts

Waltham Abbey, Essex

Some Epaulet Ladybirds are mostly dark but unlike the darkest Meadow Ladybirds they are not uniformly dark. The deep brown colour contains lighter and darker shading and there is often still a hint of the pale epaulet shoulder markings, often showing as a bright orange spot.

On many there is a ghostly hint of the pale shoulder curve and the pair of tramlines running down either side of the wing case centre line.

Dark with pale epaulets

Fishers Green, Lee Valley, Essex

Distinctive orange epaulets

Waltham Abbey, Essex

Dark with pale shoulder patches

Waltham Abbey, Essex

Dark with hint of epaulet and central lines pattern

Fishers Green, Lee Valley, Essex

Dark with paler patch on front outer edge of wing case

Upshire, Essex

Turnford, Lee Valley, Herts

Broxbourne, Herts

The tips of the wing cases are often a pale grey colour, contrasting strongly with the black and dark brown colours of the mid section area.

Fishers Green, Lee Valley, Essex

A few Epaulet Ladybirds are paler and lack the complicated shading typical of this species and can look similar to some Meadow Ladybirds.

The pattern of black lines can be reduced but follows a basic template, often showing an anchor like mark at the centre of the rear wing cases and a set of double vertical lines on each wing case (maximum of one vertical line on Meadow Ladybird).

A well marked individual with classic anchor mark and double row of outer lines. Upshire, Essex

Less well marked with broken lines but typical pattern

Upshire, Essex

At first glance quite similar to Meadow Ladybird but on closer inspection the faint second inner line is visible with the whole pattern fitting the typical template of Epaulet Ladybird. Waltham Abbey, Essex

When photographing a suspected Epaulet Ladybird, it is best to get a photograph from above, as this shows the pattern most clearly.

A side on photograph will not show a subtle pattern well, although it will still be useful, as

other features may be apparent.

Indistinct dark and light markings

Braunton Burrows, Devon

The same individual as above, showing hint of the epaulet stripes and tramlines, as well as pale grey wing case tips

Pronotum Shape

The pronotum shape can help in the identification process but is not always diagnostic.

The majority show a strong curve at the corner forming a right angle with a straight edged

rear section.

The rear section is often nearly parallel sided.

Some are more curved and similar to Meadow Ladybird but most show at least a short straight sided rear section.

Meadow Ladybird usually has a gently curved pronotum, lacking the right angled corner and still curving as it reaches the wing cases.

Very straight sided pronotum

Typical pronotum shape

Antennae Shape

The clubbed antennae are thin, longer than the head width and often held towards the side.

They usually show a distinctive kink at the half way point, resembling a wire coat hanger.

When disturbed Epaulet Ladybird often sit still with their legs and antennae tucked under the body, so need to be left until they start walking about before this feature can be checked.

The antennae are the same as Meadow Ladybird but are a useful way of ruling out similar looking beetles from other family groups.

Abbey Gardens, Waltham Abbey, Essex

Mixed Photographs

Fishers Green, Lee Valley, Essex

Upshire, Essex

Waltham Abbey, Essex

With 7-spot Ladybird

With Cream-spot Ladybird

With Cream-streaked Ladybird

With 22-spot Ladybird

Beaten from Ivy alongside Opilo mollis and Pogonocherus hispidus Fishers Green, Lee Valley, Essex

On lid of garden wheelie bin Upshire, Essex

Variation and Forms

Habitat

Can be common in pine trees, in small copses or individual trees.

Plantation pine tree Upshire, Essex

Garden pine tree Upshire, Essex

Small pine tree Braunton Burrows, Devon

Pine tree May Day Farm, The Brecks, Suffolk

Pine tree Turnford, Lee Valley, Herts

Pine copse Harlow, Essex

Amongst pine needles Upshire, Essex

They can also be common on Ivy in woodland situations.

In the Lee Valley and around the northern edge of Epping Forest they can easily be found in winter by searching Ivy growing on tree trunks.

Sheltered green lane with plenty of Ivy; ideal habitat

Puck Lane, Waltham Abbey, Essex

Ivy. Fishers Green, Lee Valley, Essex

Ivy. Hall Marsh, Lee Valley, Essex

Ivy Turnford, Lee Valley, Herts

Ivy Fishers Green, Lee Valley, Essex

Ivy. Cornmill Tree Park, Lee Valley, Essex

Ivy covered building Hooks Marsh, Lee Valley, Essex

Ivy covered wall Harlow, Essex

In December 2020 I found Epaulet Ladybirds in the Holly understorey in Epping Forest for the first time.

I have previously found Orange and Forestier's Ladybirds in this habitat.

Holly Fairmead, Epping Forest, Essex

Epaulet Ladybirds can be abundant in gardens, both rural and urban.

They can be found on Ivy covered fences and on a variety of evergreen shrubs, especially Euonymus, Viburnum tinus, Firethorn, Privet and Cotoneaster.

Euonymus. Upshire, Essex

Euonymus. Waltham Abbey, Essex

Euonymus hedge. Abbey Gardens, Lee Valley, Essex

Firethorn. Upshire, Essex

Oleaster Elaeagnus Waltham Abbey, Essex

Privet hedge Exeter, Devon

Epaulet Ladybirds can easily be found in garden wheelie bins that have been filled with the prunings from these shrubs.

They can also be found in deciduous shrubs, including Weigela, Dogwood and Guelder-rose.

I have also beaten them from low hanging oak tree branches.

Weigela. Upshire, Essex

Guelder-rose. Fishers Green, Lee Valley, Essex

Oak tree Potkiln Wood, Epping Forest, Essex

During July 2020 Mark Hows and I were beating either side of a foot path at Fishers Green, Essex and we were finding Epaulet Ladybirds in almost all pieces of vegetation we sampled, including oak trees, thistles, burdock, White Bryony and Black Horehound.