Harlequin ladybirds declared UK's fastest invading species

World's most invasive ladybird is consolidating its presence in the country and is responsible for the decline of seven native species, scientists sayHarlequin ladybirds have been declared the UK's fastest invading species after reaching almost every corner of the country in just a decade.The cannibalistic ladybirds were first realised to have reached the UK in 2004 when they were seen in Essex and have since spread as far afield as the tip of Cornwall and the Shetland Islands, making it the fastest alien invasion of the UK on record. Grey squirrels, American mink, ring-necked parakeets and muntjac deer are advancing at a rate far behind them. Continue reading...