Lost Ladybug Project

Hippodamia convergens

I spotted this ladybug while checking for aphids on my tropical milkweed in the back yard. So I offered it an oleander aphid, which it readily accepted, and took its photo to contribute to the Lost Ladybug Project. (Some of my contributions are here.)

Lost Ladybug Project

Harmonia axyridis, the multicolored Asian ladybug. Photographed Feb. 23, 2014, found inside our house and contributed to the ongoing Lost Ladybug Project at Cornell University.

Lost Ladybug Project

Convergent ladybug (Hippodamia convergens)

Lost Ladybug Project

Coccinella septempunctata

While on an assignment in Horseshoe Bay this week, I spent some time at a city park, shooting photos of a father and his two kids at the playground. Keiley, 4, and Bristol, 2, jumped on and off the swings and monkey bars with nonstop energy. After a little coaxing, Keiley finally agreed to go down the slide for a picture or two. Then we walked down to the creek to look for turtles and frogs. "You can take our pictures because we don't have a camera," she told me matter of factly. Then, to my stunned amazement, Keiley talked about monarchs and painted ladies, how she'd kept some but had to let them go. Age four! 

On the way back up to the parking lot, Keiley spotted this ladybug and cupped it in her hands. She dropped it, but I told her that I'd take a picture of it and submit it to the Lost Ladybug Project on her behalf. So here's your ladybug, Keiley. Like I promised, I've submitted it to the project for you.

Lost Ladybug Project

Since January 2009, I have contributed photos of ladybugs to the Lost Ladybug Project, a nationwide survey being conducted by Cornell University that uses citizen scientists like myself. While out in the Meadow today, I came across a ladybug. So I caught her and went back inside the house for my camera. After I took some photos, I let her go....

Seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)...a European species introduced to North America in 1956.

 

Another found January 17, 2013.

Lost Ladybug Project

Seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)

Photographed Oct. 25, 2012, in our Wildscape and contributed to the ongoing 
Cornell University's Lost Ladybug Project 

A ladybug and other stuff

Harmonia axyridis

I try to photograph every ladybug we find in our Wildscape so we can submit a report to the Lost Ladybug Project at Cornell University. This is a multi-colored Asian ladybug, an introduced species from Europe. So far, I've contributed 20 images to this research project.

Matelea biflora

Speaking of research projects, I submitted these photos of a purple milkweed vine seedpod (with common milkweed bugs below) and a prairie verbena going to seed to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Image Gallery. 
 

Glandularia bipinnatifida

A cool fly...working on ID.

One lone oxblood lily blooming!

Lost Ladybug Project

Ashy gray lady beetle (Olla v-nigrum)

Even supper time can turn up surprises. This evening, over shrimp Alfredo and fresh roasted asparagus (prepared by chef James), a lady beetle appeared! James spotted it on the ceramic candle holder on the lazy Susan that sits on our dining table. Time for the camera!

I submitted these two images to the Lost Ladybug Project, a citizen scientist project underway at Cornell University. If you visit there, you'll find ladybug photos submitted by me and other volunteers across the country. I've got several pages of contributions: one, two, three.

UPDATE: See yesterday's ladybug contribution here!

Lost Ladybug Project sightings

Coccinella septempunctata

(same as above)

Harmonia axyridis

This evening, one landed on me, and James spotted the other! I just uploaded these images to the Lost Ladybug Project. 



UPDATE SEPTEMBER 20, 2011–Rebecca at the LLP recently posted my images on the Lost Ladybug Project. Cool! "Your fantastic Olla v-nigrum photo is going in the CALS (Cornell Ag & Life Sciences) newsletter soon!" she wrote me. Even cooler! 

Lost Ladybug Project

Seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)

While we were standing in the parking lot after church, visiting with a friend, I happened to spot this ladybug on James' car. I was hoping it'd be the elusive nine-spotted species but nope, not this time either. It's the seven-spotted ladybug. Awhile ago, I shot a photo of it, then let it fly away. Then I uploaded the pic to the Lost Ladybug Project, which is surveying ladybug species across the U.S. It's a cool project! I've been contributing to it for several years now. Check it out!

Lost Ladybug Project and a new bug

A new ladybug species in our Wildscape! Meet the twice-stabbed ladybug (Chilocorus stigma). I spotted it yesterday while checking out spiders and bugs with my young neighbor friend, Peyton, and his buddy, Eddie. Peyton's little brother Davis, too. He wandered over later and joined us. And yes, I uploaded it to the Lost Ladybug Project.

Below is a mystery insect found in our Wildscape back in May, and I never got it identified. I posted it on Bugguide.net this morning and quickly got an ID: a white-margined burrower bug (Sehirus cinctus). Hey, I have photos of the nymphs (posted below)! I shot those May 31 in the back yard after James found a bunch of them under some rocks. Very interesting!

Adult
Sehirus cinctus

Nymph
Sehirus cinctus

Nymphs
Sehirus cinctus

Lost Ladybug Project

Harmonia axyridis, the multicolored Asian ladybug.
Found on passionflower vine.

UPDATE E-mail received Thu 5/20, 9:54 P.M.

Dear Sheryl,

Thank you, again, for your contribution to the Lost Ladybug Project. Your submission can now be viewed in the Contributors section of the Lost Ladybug Project website, here: http://lostladybug.org/contributors-images.php?id=1062

This "face-shot" is fantatic!

Sincerely,
The Lost Ladybug Project
www.lostladybug.org

Lost Ladybug Project

A while ago, I REALLY thought MAYBE I'd found the elusive nine-spotted ladybug that researchers at Cornell University are trying to find. But alas, it was just a seven-spotted specimen (Coccinella septempunctata). I also found a Hippodamia convergens, which is native to the U.S. I uploaded these photos to the Lostladybug site.

Coccinella septempunctata
(first view)

Second view

Hippodamia convergens

UPDATE E-mail received 5/20 6:30 A.M.

Dear Sheryl,

Thank you, again, for your contribution to the Lost Ladybug Project. Your submission can now be viewed in the Contributors section of the Lost Ladybug Project website, here: http://lostladybug.org/contributors-images.php?id=1062

Great to hear from you, and I love these photos! (from Rebecca)

Sincerely,
The Lost Ladybug Project
www.lostladybug.org

Lost Ladybug Project

Hippodamia convergens on a verbena bloom

A different Hippodamia convergens

Hippodamia convergens freshly pupaed

Hippodamia convergens, the same freshly pupaed

I took my camera out awhile and, during my wanderings, came across two ladybugs to submit to the Lost Ladybug Project. What's the Lost Ladybug Project? Researchers at Cornell University are asking kids and adults to shoot photos of ladybugs across the nation so they can survey species. Check out their website! One of my two articles on ladybugs and the project (published in Jakes children's magazine) is posted there under the "media" link. The other article, "Ladybug Lookout," appeared in the August 2009 issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

P.S. Here's a ladybug in our Wildscape that won't make it to the Lost Ladybug Project! :-)

James gave her to me for our fourth anniversary (May 2). Our neighbor, Linda, had already bought it at Blanco Gardens, but she insisted that James take it and give it to me. We have wonderful neighbors!

Lost Ladybug Project

Here's another submission from our Wildscape for the Lost Ladybug Project...I'm guessing a Harmonia axyridis, a nonnative nine-spotted ladybug. I spotted her in a bush of Mexican oregano in the back yard. We'll see if I guess right.

Whaz up right now

Walking in our Wildscape is a wonderful experience since the rains have returned. Oh, my, the plants responded almost immediately to the drenches. Beautiful! As you can see, the blue mistflowers are in full bloom, just in time to welcome queens and an occasional monarch. I spotted a Gulf fritillary on the butterfly bush, too.

What's left of our fall aster (the deer munched on it during the summer) is blooming....

And our new white mistflower is blooming, too.

James spotted this interesting fly. Not sure what it is.....

A back view of that fly.

The Gulf muhly is going to seed. So lovely in the sunlight.....

We also found a ladybug, which I photographed and uploaded to the Lost Ladybug Project.

Lost Ladybug Project

Yesterday evening, I just happened to spot this little ladybug on one of our backyard birdbaths. Actually, James and I were trying to photograph a friendly red admiral butterfly that kept landing on me. After I saw the beetle, then I turned my attention to it while James kept shooting the butterfly on my back. We are easily entertained!

This morning, I uploaded these photos to the Lost Ladybug Project. I'm guessing our species is an ashy gray ladybug (Olla v-nigrum). Pretty, eh?

What's the Lost Ladybug Project? Researchers at Cornell University are asking kids and adults to shoot photos of ladybugs across the nation so they can survey species. Check out their website! One of my two articles on ladybugs and the project (published in Jakes children's magazine) is posted there under the "media" link. The other article, "Ladybug Lookout," appeared in the August 2009 issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

Lost Ladybug Project

Hippodamia convergens



We found this pair yesterday. I got some photos and just now uploaded them to the Lost Ladybug Project at Cornell University. This is my fourth submission so far.

Lost Ladybug Project

I found another ladybug yesterday and photographed it for the Lost Ladybug Project. It's another Cycloneda munda. Now I've got photos of two species on the "contributors" page. So far, I've submitted photos of three specimens.