A KILLER ladybird has landed in Britain, and it could mean the end for our own beloved red and black insect.

The most invasive ladybird on the planet- the Harlequin- has aready caused havoc in America and parts of Continental Europe,decimating native insect populations.

Now scientists have found it in Britain and are warning that it could annihilate native ladybirds and other insects, including butterflies.

Ladybird expert Dr Michael Majerus, of Cambridge University, is urging anyone who spots the distinctive yellow and black insect to catch it and send it to him.

It is critical to monitor this ladybird before it gets out of control, "he said".

 

Introduced from Asia into North America for biocontrol of aphids, the Harlequin has decimated the native insect population.

The Harlequins are not only a threat to other insects, they have also been known to invade homes in their hundreds of thousands and even turn to biting people when they run out of aphid prey.