Convergent lady beetle (eating aphids)
Hippodamia convergens
36.7473, -95.9808
Field Notes
Description:
The female lady beetle lays 200 to 300 eggs over several months during spring and early summer. The eggs are small and spindle-shaped and are laid near the prey in upright batches of fifteen to thirty eggs. The larvae are dark and somewhat alligator-shaped. Once the larvae begin feeding, they grow quickly and moult four times over a period of up to a month. The pupal stage lasts about a week and mating takes place soon afterwards. If there is an abundant supply of aphids the female may start laying within about a week of mating, but if the supply is scanty, she may wait for up to nine months. (information from Wikipedia)
Habitat:
Overgrown flowerbed in the middle of a busy and built-up downtown area.
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