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May 23, 2008 | 10:47 AM PST
Tag: lady bugs

I love lady bugs. We have had a few hanging around since early spring. They have been feasting on the aphids that the ants were farming. When I walk around the yard I like to watch any insects that I see. One day I happened to notice a ladybug larvae! Boy are they weird looking! I watched it over time. We saw it go through its change into a ladybug. It was very interesting for me since I don't think that I had ever seen a larvae or a chrysalis thingy. Anyway, here are some pics of the different stages. Most of the pics are a little out of focus, its been pretty breezy lately, but you will get the idea. :)

Larvae curled around flower bud, there were aphids down in there.

Pupae, right after it started this phase.

Pupae, I think this pic is about 5 days after the one above. The butt end is a little darker now.

Empty Pupae case.

Newly emerged ladybug. She didn't stick around long after this.

5 Member Comments

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witt	May 23, 2008 \| 2:11 PM PST Wow! That is SO cool! I saw lady bugs all in the "grass" that I was weeding. Why don't they get on my lilies and eat those aphids?? How in the world did you recognize the little caterpillar thingy? That is so NEAT!
countrylane	May 23, 2008 \| 2:37 PM PST How cool! I have never seen this. Nice pictures!
yardgranny6	May 23, 2008 \| 5:03 PM PST Great lesson on Lady Bugs. I have seen one or two so far this season. I always talk to them and say thank you for coming. Linda B
AngelsGarden	May 23, 2008 \| 8:36 PM PST I had read somewhere that you shouldn't be so quick to spray your plants if you don't even know what the good insects look like. One of the examples was the ladybug larvae. Because of how strange it looks, most people (including me) would not even associate it with a ladybug. Since I saw the parent hangin' around that plant, that kind of triggered my memory of what I read. When I saw the larvae then I knew what it was. Glad I read about them. :)
txrose	May 24, 2008 \| 7:11 PM PST so when they first come out they aren't red? I've seen some like in your last photo I just thought it was a different type..I can't believe I haven't ever known where lady bugs come from WOW thanks for sharing...great pics!

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