I photographed this tiny ladybird in a field of buttercups, last week. It's a 16 Spot; only 3mm long, and distinguishable from the similar 14 Spot not only by the 2 extra spots, but also by the fact that it's spots are rounder and some of them are merged.
The following morning, as I sipped my coffee in the back garden, this little fella crawled out of a brick beside my chair. Again, only about 3mm long, and to my unpracticed eye it looked a very interesting ladybird.
However, Klaas, from WAB, kindly informed me that it is not a ladybird, but a Dermestidae - Attagenus pellio, more commonly known as a Two-spotted Carpet Beetle.
These seem rather scarce on the NBN Gateway map; whether that's because they are considered pests, are so small, or because they really are uncommon, I don't know. I do know, however, that it's wings looked amazing in the morning sunshine.
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