The loveliness of a flying beetle

The recent cricket match between England and India at Lord's was reportedly briefly delayed by a swarm of ladybirds which were bothering the players.

- Roger Crutchley

It is believed to be the first recorded instance of “ladybirds stopped play”. More importantly, swarm is not the correct term for these flying beetles. The collective noun for ladybirds (ladybugs for our American friends) is a “loveliness”.

You only have to utter “a ‘loveliness’ of ladybirds” to appreciate its poetic potential and it even has a William Wordsworth feel to it.

Ladybirds are one of the more attractive species in the insect kingdom with a reddish colouring and three spots on each wing. I recall my father telling me to treat ladybirds with respect as they were “good for the garden”. Apparently they eat pests like aphids and creepy crawlies.

It prompted me to look at some of the more unusual collective nouns for a gathering of creatures. One that caught the eye was “shrewdness” of apes. They acquired the description as an acknowledgement of their intelligence. Jellyfish are common to Thai coastal waters and when they get together they are known as a “smack” because when they sting it resembles the pain of a strong smack.

So beware, there are a few nasty ones lurking in the shallows.

A gathering of Thailand’s national animal, the elephant, is commonly called a “herd” but alternatively a more refined description is a “memory” of elephants. Incidentally, when Australia’s kangaroos get together it is called a “mob”, which seems a trifle unfair.

Ask the owls