In the last month or so I was fortunate to capture a collection of photos illustrating the life cycle of the Ladybird beetle, sometimes called a Ladybug. I think that depends on which side of the Atlantic you are on. Regardless of that, these beneficial beetles are found worldwide in a multitude of species each with its own distinct patterns.
A freshly pupated adult, here it clings to a cement wall as it waits for its exoskeleton to fully harden. Then it'll be off to find some food, perhaps some delicious aphids. Aphids in turn are often tended by ants for the "nectar" they produce as they drink the fluids of various plants. Whereas an ant will only take the sweet fluid, the Ladybird eats the whole aphid!
Ready for its close-up!
Click the images to see them fullscreen! You could count the lenses on the beetles eyes!
After some time as an adult the Ladybird beetle will find a mate, and the female will lay some eggs.
About a week later I visited the same fence post where the 21 spotted beetle had laid the eggs, where once they were bright orange, now a cluster of white broken egg shells, and a collection of tiny black hairy little beetle larva!
In this form they are absolutely ravenous, they need a lot of food to grow into the more familiar shiny red and black beetles that we all love.
Staking out a flower, or perhaps dining on protein rich pollen?
Slightly larger and much more active:
Close-up of this little monster's face:
After gorging on aphids and things that are too slow to get away, the larva become a little bit chubby!
The above larva is nearing the end of this stage of life and will soon pupate, much like a butterfly, it will completely transform into a winged adult ready to propagate the next generation.
There are a number of interesting details that can be seen in this pupa.
The horizontal ridge like forms will be where the same joints are on the abdomen of the adult beetle, usually these are covered by the hard outer wings. Also, the wings themselves can be seen forming under the black bulge with a vertical to the camera demarkation.
Lastly, the larva's skin can be seen at the base of the pupa. I think it looks a bit like a pair of discarded pants!
Another example of a ladybird pupa, this species will have much more red on its exoskeleton:
I hope you have enjoyed the photos as much as I did taking them! Leave a comment below!