Beachgoers stunned as thousands of ladybirds wash up along Western Cape coast - IOL

Thousands of ladybirds washed up along the high-tide mark at Strand beach, with similar sightings reported at Gordon’s Bay and Lamberts Bay.

Thousands of ladybirds have washed up on beaches across the Western Cape, with large numbers found dead and others still alive along the high-tide mark.

The mass wash-up was seen at Strand over the weekend , while similar sightings have been reported in Gordon's Bay and Lamberts Bay on the West Coast in recent day.

Beetle experts identified three species among those found in Strand, including two indigenous species and exotic ladybird that has been present in South Africa for decades.

The species were identified as Lioadalia flavomaculata, which is common throughout southern Africa, the indigenous Lunate Lady Beetle (Cheilomenes lunata) and the Variegated Lady Beetle (Hippodamia variegata).

The latter is an exotic species found in several countries and is believed to have arrived in South Africa from Europe around 1967.

Experts found no sign of the harmful alien invasive Harlequin Ladybird, which originates from Asia.

While the scale of the Strand wash-up made for an unusual sight, mass ladybird wash-ups have been recorded elsewhere in the world.

The exact cause is not always clear, but the insects are known to undertake large migratory flights when searching for new feeding grounds or escaping colder conditions.

During these migrations they can travel at heights of between 150 and 500 metres, using warm air currents and winds to cover long distances.

One explanation for coastal wash-ups is that migrating ladybirds are caught by changes in wind or thermal currents and pushed out over the sea, where they eventually fall into the water.

The insects can remain afloat for several days, meaning some can still be alive by the time currents carry them back to shore.

The sightings at three Western Cape locations within days of each other have raised questions about whether the wash-ups are linked to the same weather or wind conditions.

One of the largest recorded ladybird wash-ups occurred in Egypt in 1939, when an estimated 4.5 billion beetles were recorded along about 21km of coastline.