Sometimes known as ladybugs in the United States, though internationally biologists prefer the name "lady beetle" because these little critters obviously aren't birds and the term "bug" is considered vulgar...
Whatever you wanna call them, these tiny beetles from the family Coccinellidae are the cutest of all insects, passing through distinct stages in their tiny lives...
Some ladybirds are yellow...
Some are completely spotless...
A funky black-n-cream design... here snacking on some colour-co-ordinated aphids...
Ladybird passion...
Wow look at this. Adds new meaning to that expression "jiggy-wiggy"...
Ladybird lady with clutch of tiny eggs...
Ladybird larva in yellow with black dots...
Terrifying-looking black and red larva savaging aphid...
This is called the pupal stage, just before the larva turns into a ladybird proper...
In a fully-grown ladybug, the candy-coloured outer shell opens up...
... revealing delicate inner wings that are surprisingly huge...
Taking off...
Designed by Volkswagen!
Note to self: vemu.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteAmericans blogging in German!
COME ON SOMEONE LEAVE A LADYBIRD COMMENT; PLEASE :-)
Fly away home! They are cute aren't they? Even close up.
ReplyDeleteMy mum is a keen gardener and an avid fan of ladybird...they eat all the nasties, like aphids!
ReplyDeleteTalking about designed by Volkswagon...many years ago my sister-in-law had a green Morris Minor which she called "The Aphid"...which has nothing to do with Volkswagon but hey...
Those aphids never stood a chance. Ladybird larvae are more vicious than a snapping snarling yapping trotter terrier.
ReplyDeleteClever little ladybirds, they're one of nature's hit squad*!*
ReplyDeleteBaino: yeah that's just what I thought ~ apart from the multiple-leggy underecarriage, they're amazingly cute close up which is really unusual
ReplyDeletePuss-in-Boots: Apparently American farmers buy them by the carton-load to release on to their crops and gobble up the nasties :-)
What resemblance does a Morris Minor bear to an aphid? Any at all..? Weren't Morris Minors those almost Tudor-style cars with "wooden" beams stuck all over the outside?... You know the ones I mean. I'd call it a "wooden car" and my dear brother who always, without fail, gets any allusion, metaphor or joke I ever tell e.g. if I say "that man looks like an earth worm" he knows exactly what I'm saying and why... would laugh and laugh his head off :-)
Molson: the tiny trotter terrier might snap and snarl more at a groany bone though than a ladybird would at an aphid... ps talking of groany bones, have you seen my Furry Friday on Saturday about Simi the Golden (Porkshire Cross) Doggie..? She's amazing and the link is here you MUST go and leave a comment.
http://gledwood3.blogspot.com/2010/07/simi-der-schonster-hund-aller-welt.html
If you don't, I shall have Simi savage you ~ and she has a nasty streak ~ just you look at her face.
And don't worry about the German. You can't speak it any worse than Simi and Internet explorer (though not Firefox for some reason) put up a grey bar up top of screen with "this page is in German; click to translate" and you'll get quite an entertaining rendition, which is no doubt better English than my original German!!
Bimbimbie: they're like women. Beautiful yet formidable, no wonder the name lady bird ...
What a beautiful selection of one of my favourit insects!
ReplyDelete'Designed by Volkswagen' LOL! :O)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog Gled and I've left you a reply. I'll try to find out the name of the film for you.
Such cuties.
ReplyDeleteI've been catching up on the suicide posts. All so very sad. Too many damaged people in the world.
Don't beat yourself up, gledwood. There's too much pain already around.
I quite like ladybugs! Interesting photos.
ReplyDeleteIt is supposedly good luck to have one land on you. I have had several do that recently. I'm hoping the luck story is true.
ReplyDeleteThere are some great photos here, Gledds. Lovely post.
ReplyDeleteAren't they wondrous? As Baino said up top, they're beautiful even close up. The ultra-cute type with white spots up front, as in the sex film and the last photo, are the usual type we get here...
ReplyDeleteI had an ladybird invasion last november! They came through my bedroom window... hundreds of them. Ladybirds... nasty!
ReplyDeleteAre you in America? I heard about ladybird plagues out there... but I've never experienced one here... though I suppose I'd rather ladybirds than flies...
ReplyDeleteO no you're Sarah the German Au Pair in London. DUR! I'm so sorry; the English name threw me and I didn't know your portrait ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love how every time I come to your blog the post is so different from the last. I'm digging the lady bugs, haha.
ReplyDelete= )
Hope you're doing a bit better today man!