Little Arboreal Ladybird recorded in Britain for the first time as insects shift north

A small ladybird species normally confined to France and continental Europe has been recorded in Britain for the first time, conservationists said, as warming temperatures and local habitat improvements allow insects to move north and establish new populations.

The Little Arboreal Ladybird was caught in moth traps across the New Forest and in Southampton, according to Russell Wynn, director of Wild New Forest and chair of the New Forest Biodiversity Forum. He said there were no confirmed British records of the species before the recent influx and that the UK Species Inventory will now list it as new to Britain.

Wynn said the hot weather over the summer had been challenging for some wetland animals but beneficial for many insects, including ladybirds. "It's been a good year for many of the insects, ladybirds included," he said, adding that the Little Arboreal Ladybird was one of several winged species that have colonised southern England as temperatures rise.

The New Forest, a mosaic of ancient woodland, fens, heaths and bogs, has become a landing point for species crossing the English Channel in search of suitable habitat, Wynn said. Conservation teams working in the national park — including Wild New Forest — are involved in the Species Survival Fund (SSF), a programme that supports nature restoration across roughly 24 sites in the park.

Work to expand and restore wetland and other habitats has also brought back species that had been absent locally. In a recent ecological survey, conservationists recorded the 13-spot ladybird in a New Forest site for the first time in about 20 years. Wynn said the site will see wetland creation next year, which should improve prospects for the species there.

In drier parts of the forest, observers have noted the presence of the Adonis ladybird (Hippodamia variegata). Wynn said the region is "in a period of flux" as climate change reshapes which species can survive and thrive in Britain. He urged people to take more time in the forest to observe its wildlife, noting that the New Forest supports an estimated 20,000 species of animals, plants and fungi.

Scientists have documented northward shifts in butterflies, moths and other insects in recent decades as average temperatures have risen. Local habitat quality and targeted restoration can influence whether colonising species establish breeding populations, making sites such as the New Forest important for monitoring and for conservation interventions.

While some species benefit from warmer summers, Wynn cautioned that not all wildlife fares equally. He said some wetland species had struggled this year because of the heat, underscoring the mixed impacts of climate change on biodiversity. The arrival and return of certain ladybirds, he added, represent both a response to changing climate conditions and an opportunity for conservationists to manage habitats so they continue to support diverse wildlife in the decades ahead.