Recorder insight

A lifetime of ladybirds

My early years were spent in Uganda and undoubtedly provided an extravagant introduction to wildlife.  My parents describe my fascination with termites which strayed from observation to consumption (fresh (and live) from the mound).  The picture included here is one in which my parents fondly remember my delight at my first foray into the field – in this case a swamp. 

I note that I am ill-equipped – bare-footed and without a sweep net or hand lens!  I recently had the pleasure of returning to Uganda to teach on a Tropical Biology Association field ecology course in Kibale Forest.  I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of time to explore the forest accompanied by 24 students and a sweep net.

By the time I reached the mature age of six my family had moved to the Isle of Wight – just in time for me to witness the 1976 spectacular boom of ladybirds (mainly Coccinella septempunctata but with a high number of Coccinella undecimpunctata too).  Indeed one of my earliest memories is observing the eclosion of adult ladybirds on the plants in our vegetable patch.  My delight at seeing these newly emerged beetles – translucent yellow with no spots – has not waned.  Coccinella septempunctata remains the species for which I am most fond – to me it is an icon of the British countryside and my childhood. 

I was extremely privileged to have parents and grandparents who shared my fascination in natural history.  My parents both worked full-time and so my sister and I spent the entire summer holidays with our grandparents in west Cornwall.  These were idyllically simple days spent outdoors whatever the weather.  On rainy days we would sit on the cliff tops of remote coves watching diving cormorants – timing the duration of their underwater escapades (while eating fruit cake!).  On slightly less rainy days we would collect shells from the shore line – with cowies being the coveted treasure.  On rare sunny days we would be delving in rock pools or snorkelling.  Whatever the weather our coastal walks were always filled with exciting finds from burnet moths and butterflies to birds and hedgerow plants.  My grandmother encouraged us to turn our collections into bedroom museums, with specimens carefully organised and labelled.  Meanwhile my grandfather would leave a piece of corrugated roofing, out on bare ground, in his vegetable patch for us to observe the succession of occupants.  We occasionally found that slowworms, toads and even harvest mice had moved under the roofing but the invertebrates were studied with equal excitement. 

The patience and encouragement of my family ensured my innate interest in ecology was nurtured.  Additionally their willingness to share their knowledge and answer endless questions was tremendously important.  My grandfather (Jim) left school aged 14 but he was an amazing ornithologist and my greatest inspiration.  He was fantastic company and I enjoyed the time we had together immensely whether we were feeding bumble bees sugar solution on his kitchen table or naming hedgerow plants along the Cornish country lanes or listening to bird song (I never did make much progress with that – sadly!).  He was one of my main sources of information but I can also remember delving into various ‘Observers’ field guides to satisfy my quest for knowledge in those early days.    

At school, biology was unsurprisingly my favourite subject.  My secondary school, in conjunction with the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society (IWNHAS), organised a two week natural history camp at Newtown Nature Reserve.  I was an annual participant!  Throughout the time on this remote reserve we would be involved in compiling inventories of birds, small mammals and freshwater invertebrates.  I can even remember one year we were introduced to plants!  One of the aspects that I found particularly rewarding was to see the school report of the Newtown Surveys in the IWNHAS newsletter.  I recently gave a talk to the IWNHAS and it was wonderful to be back.

Coccinella punctata adult

I studied biology (mainly ecology) at Southampton University under the instruction of some great lecturers.  Field work was a particular highlight of the three years and the first year field trip to Andalucía was amazing not only because I met my husband, David Roy (Head of BRC), but also because I had my first encounters with bombardier beetles and many other entomological curiosities.  During this time my interest in insects was escalating and, after completing an MSc at Nottingham University, I commenced a PhD studying the interactions between aphid natural enemies at Rothamsted Research.  I can only describe the three years of my PhD as utterly indulgent.  I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to study one system in immense detail.  I combined laboratory experiments with field surveys and manipulations to get insight into a community comprising ladybirds, carabids, hoverflies, lacewings, hymenopteran parasitoids, entomopathogenic fungi and aphids. 

My PhD supervisor Judith Pell was simply the best (I try and emanate her supervisory qualities when meeting with my PhD students but she is a hard act to follow).  I also met Mike Majerus (Professor of Evolution at the University of Cambridge and more importantly Coccinellidae Recording Scheme Organiser) during this time.  Mike was an inspirational mentor.  The time and commitment he gave to his students was immeasurable.  He provided me with protocols for rearing C. septempunctata and other ladybird species.  He was also a source of pink Acryrthosiphon pisum (pea aphid) but that’s another story. Most importantly he introduced me to the recording scheme.  I had many enjoyable years working alongside Mike both recording ladybirds and also jointly supervising Pete Brown during his PhD studies.  His premature death was devastating. 

Mike Majerus recording for Radio 4

I now jointly coordinate the UK Ladybird Survey with Pete Brown and Remy Poland.  It is a huge privilege.  Every day (internet connection permitting) I process the records that arrive through the online recording site and answer the e-mails that accompany the records.  I have been overwhelmed by the passion with which people have got involved with the UK Ladybird Survey.  We have received more than 60 000 records online since launching the website in 2005.  Staggering.  Of these about 40 percent are submitted with a photograph and we include only these verified records within the NBN Gateway dataset.  I also enjoy science communication in its many guises from peer-reviewed publications and newsletter articles to exhibitions and radio interviews.  There is always plenty to report from the UK Ladybird Survey (indeed I now regularly use Twitter as a method of rapidly conveying news from the Survey).  Compiling the ladybird atlas with Pete Brown, Remy Poland and Bob Frost was a great pleasure.  It was also an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of ladybird recording and the involvement of thousands of people across the country.  The atlas is dedicated to Mike Majerus, a hero to so many, but recognises the contributions of many others in sustaining and developing ladybird recording over many, many decades.

I have the perfect occupation leading zoological data collation and research within the Biological Records Centre (Centre for Ecology & Hydrology).  Coordinating the UK Ladybird Survey is a voluntary role but one I also cherish.  I hope I will be in a position to continue with both positions for many decades to come.  My motivation stems from a deep fascination and passion for natural history.  The complex interactions between species never cease to amaze me.  I know that distribution data, collected through the volunteer schemes and societies, is essential for documenting and understanding ecological change.  The value of this data and the role of volunteer scheme organisers in gathering it cannot be overstated.  I am extremely privileged to play a small part.

Helen and scientists at Speakers’ Corner

I now have two daughters and I enjoy being in the field with them, telling stories of parasites and predators (particularly ladybirds).  I believe that the key to building on our rich legacy of biological recording is for the current generation of recorders to patiently and enthusiastically nurture the next generation.  The many, many natural historians I have met over the last four decades have done just that for me.

Dr Helen Roy – Biological Records Centre, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology