In this activity, your class will examine how the pannier gene coding region of the harlequin ladybird affects their colour patterns. They will then discuss the implications of this.
They can also examine the harlequin ladybird sorting cards to look for examples of the four main alleles mentioned in the presentation, discussing what data they have found and the best way to present this.
This content is part of a larger set of activities on Grouping and classifying ladybirds.
You might find these additional ladybird resources useful to support your lesson planning
These cards feature 150 ladybirds from 10 species - showing the variation within species.
A PowerPoint presentation introducing ladybirds and looking at the survival adaptations of camouflage versus poison.
Including a set of sorting cards, an ID card for common ladybirds, and how to run a survey.
