Millions of alien ladybirds riddled with sexually-transmitted diseases are winging their way into our park.
The harlequin is regarded as the most invasive ladybird species on earth.
It is larger and more aggressive than other ladybirds and will even eat them.
The bugs, which have black wings rather than our common red, are flying in from Asia and North America on the mild autumn winds, and pose a major threat to our native ladybirds because they carry an STD called Laboulbeniales fungal disease.
The fungus, which is passed on through mating, will infect our native species which are already under threat from habitat loss.
Our natives photographed the same day with the Harlequins-
PLEASE NOTE - after watching Gardeners World today 28th July 2017 the following may well be other forms of Harlequins and not natives. See link to harlequin identification survey here
Large gatherings of harlequins can give off a chemical smell and in centrally-heated houses they may be woken up from hibernation by the warmth and fly around the house.
The Buglife nature charity says that though harlequins are not a direct threat to humans, they can leave a nasty smell and crawl over your furniture, leaving unsightly stains, so people are advised to watch out.
Everything you need to know, from harlequins eggs to ladybird, all the facts can be found here
Here they are again -
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