What a friend looks like....

To my delight, I discover a "settlement" of Ladybug larvaes on my Broccoli Raab plants that I was letting go to seed for next season's crop. Marvelling at how different they look from their parents, I wondered how many people actually know what a Ladybug larva looks like? How many have killed there wondrous larvaes thinking they were another garden pest? That's what lead to this post. Don't want senseless killing of a friend because of ignorance!!

The ladybugs lays hundreds of eggs in colonies of aphids and other pest. Once hatched, the larvaes will first eat their egg casing and start feasting on the aphids and other soft bodied pest. They will grow and shed their skins 5-7 times depending on their specie. This process is called "in-star". Basically, the larva outgrows their exoskeleton ( remember biology anyone?) and "burst" out of the exoskeleton it and shed it. The new soft exoskeleton will harden and protect the larva until it grows too big for it and the process repeats. After about 10-14 days the larva will affix itself to a branch or leaf -its pupal stage, to begin its metamorphosis into an adult.




I had to do a bit of research to refresh my knowledge of the Ladybug's life cycle. I learnt that I should refer to them as a colony not settelement of ladybugs! Reminds me of history lessons. Interesting fact is that there are over 5,000 different species of ladybugs which are also called lady beetles, ladybird beetles, lady cow and lady fly among other names, in other  parts of the world. Call them by whichever name but call them Friend. The ladybugs, both adults and their larvaes voraciously consume pests such as aphids and scale insects.

The ladybug larva is black in color with orange spot. It looks like a crocodile with ridges on its back.

It is easy to assume that it is a pest as it looks nothing like its parent the cute Ladybug of our nursery rhymes! Take a good look and remember your friend. The larva voraciously eats up the aphids like a vacumn cleaner- it is actually quite mesmerizing to watch them eat!!

Admittedly, I have mainly seen the Ladybug in its adult and larva form. I am sure I have also seen its pupa but was never cognizant of it. I decided to seek them out.

Originally, I thought it was a dead Ladybug, but realized that it was in a pupa stage. It was slightly elongated and orangey red in color with spots, looking more like its parent.

Here, I found a leaf that a bunch of larvae had decided would be a good place to attach for the pupa stage of their lives.

You will notice from the different coloration, that the larvaes were in different stages of becoming a pupa. 

The older pupas were orangey in color with black spots. They were attached to the leaf at one end with what looks like a series of black legs. Watching the newest larvaes attaching themselves, it would appear that they attach themselves to the surface from their back end of body. I was able to observe their heads and front legs still lifting up from surface of leaf.

I have decided that I would like to observe the transformation of these ladybug pupas into adult ladybugs. Hence, I collected the leaf the larvaes have attached themselves to and put it in a clear container for their temporary home. Will update as they develope.

N.B. I have left container of Ladybug pupa in Temecula. Hopefully, they will not hatch before I get there.... No idea how old are the pupas. The black larvaes that were attaching themselves would be 4 days old today, so I will at least have them to observe.