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Happenings in the insect world
'The Ladybug Shrub'
Kathy Keatley Garvey
June 14, 2010

Our Artemisia, a silvery-leafed shrub bordering our bee friendly garden, looks quite orange and black these days.

It's not for lack of water or some exotic disease. It's the ladybug (aka lady beetle) population.

If you look closely, you'll see eggs, larvae and pupae and the adults.  And if you look even more closely, you'll see aphids.

The predator and the prey.

Bon appetit!

ADULT LADYBUG forages for aphids on a silvery-leafed shrub, Artemisia. A ladybug larva is at the far right. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Ladybug
ADULT LADYBUG forages for aphids on a silvery-leafed shrub, Artemisia. A ladybug larva is at the far right. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

LARVAL STAGE of the ladybug. The ladybug goes through a complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa and adult. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Larval Stage
LARVAL STAGE of the ladybug. The ladybug goes through a complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa and adult. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

PUPA of a ladybug on the silvery-leafed shrub, Artemisia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Pupa
PUPA of a ladybug on the silvery-leafed shrub, Artemisia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

ENCOUNTER--An adult ladybug encounters a pupa, the last stage before becoming an adult. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Ladybug and a Pupa
ENCOUNTER--An adult ladybug encounters a pupa, the last stage before becoming an adult. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Tags: Artemisia (2), ladybug (16), larva (2), pupa (2)
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