Inside curly cherry leaves with their food

Yesterday we gave our cherry tree a light trim, removing shoot tips damaged by the black cherry aphid. The leaves curl up, sheltering hundreds of aphids (above). Inside the leaves, with their prey, there were hundreds of Harlequin larvae larvae, a few 2 spot larvae and with few adults of both species, a 10 spot ladybird and a few predatory hemipteran bugs.

A mirid bug Deraeocoris ruber (I think!)

10 spot ladybird, near a black cherry aphid

Fully grown Harlequin larvae

2 spot ladybird larvae

Two spot ladybird

An unusual 2 spot ladybird with 3 spots!

Cherry wars

The new shoots of my cherry tree are covered on Black Cherry Aphids, Myzus cerasi. The new leaves are stunted and folded, sheltering the aphid colonies which produce abundant honeydew - loved by bees and bumblebees. Ladybirds have also arrived at the tree in search of the aphids. There are many Harlequin ladybirds, mating, feeding and laying eggs (above).

Today, tens of Harlequin egg clusters were very obvious under the leaves...

...often close to aphid infestations. 

One of the clusters was already hatching: a new generation of Harlequins 

There were also many 2 spot ladybirds on the cherry, I am not sure they are as advanced on their life cycle as the Harlequin, although this pair was mating. Given the strong impact of Harlequins on 2 spot populations, it is obvious there is more than one war going on in the cherry tree. All the photos, except for the top one (26/05/12) taken today.