The biter bit (a.k.a. friend or foe)

Ugly little blighter isn't he (she)






..a ladybird larva of course.

All the good gardening books tell you to nip the tops off your broad beans to prevent an infestation of black fly and every year yours truly forgets. Oh well it keeps these little chaps fed.

Apologies for the picture quality on this but I only had one chance to take it.

It's not easy to judge the scale on this, suffice to say she (well it is a ladybird) is one of the larger UK species at 4-5mm. (melanistic black form with red spots of two spot ladybird Adalia bipunctata)