Monday, October 5, 2009

Polished Lady Beetle


Polished Lady Beetles (Cycloneda munda) are native to Eastern North America. They range in color from red to tan and are free from spots. They are very tiny at a 1/4 of an inch. Their pronotum (thorax region) is black and edged with white with two white lobes that extend into the black portion.

They are found in gardens, meadows, parks and prairies, where they feed on aphids, scale insects and other soft bodied insects. This little ladybug has many different names, and it probably depends upon your region as to what you call it, these names include Red Lady Beetle, Spotless Lady Beetle and Immaculate Lady Beetle.

4 comments:

  1. Great shots of the ladybug. Glad to see a native species. It's getting to where I can find nothing but Multi-Colored Asians.

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  2. Thanks Marvin. I know what you mean....I have tons of the multi-colored variety as well. Seems it is a problem everywhere. This year though, even their numbers seem down, at least up here in NWMO. I've had some, but not near the large numbers in past years. Of course if the clouds and rain ever clear out, and the sun reappears that might change things.

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  3. It seemed the population of ladybugs was down here too, but I wasn't sure. We had a smaller than usual garden this year. I thought maybe I just wasn't out among the plants as much as in years past.

    I know exactly what you mean about the lack of sunshine. Same here. I'd move to the Pacific Northwest if I wanted to live in a temperate rain forest. Sunshine is in our forecast for this weekend -- for whatever that may be worth.

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  4. I know what you mean, I am a warm weather girl. I suffer through our winters, not in silence, but complaining and grumbling every step of the way..LOL We did not have a summer to speak of. They are calling for sunshine her Sunday with a high in the low 50's, 67 degrees predicted for Monday YEA!!!! heat wave!

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