harlequin ladybird

noun

British
: multicolored asian lady beetle
Experts have cited two causes: a warm summer which brought a plentiful supply of aphids, their main food source, and the spread of a foreign variety, the harlequin ladybird, originally from Asia, which is larger, spottier and more orange than native ladybirds …Rebecca Lefort, Sunday Telegraph (London), 1 Nov. 2009

Word History

First Known Use

2004, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of harlequin ladybird was in 2004

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Cite this Entry

“Harlequin ladybird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harlequin%20ladybird. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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