7-spot Ladybirds emergence.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

........... I notice the yellow one you have has some spiky hairs at one end, that might be an indicator. The 7-spot has a grey mass where it attaches to the leaf.

Yes, that 'crown of thorns' is pretty much diagnostic - you get something similar with other Harmonia species and the Eyed ladybird (basically, pupae formed from a larvae which is 'spikey') but they are seldom so prominent.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by bonitin

...............
A larvae that is just about to pupate (I think)

I'm not sure that if the pupa starts to erect it means the process of emerging is close-by. I also saw that when the pupa is empty but this one looks full

Yes, the first is a pre-pupa - the final instar larva is attaching itself to the plant substrate. The next photograph is an early pupa: the larva has attached and shed its skin (at first it will be very pale and soft with no patterns). The pupal skin then hardens but many of the larval internal structures are still present (especially muscles): for twenty-four hours or so the pupa is able to twitch its body - the 'flicking' mechanism which deters some predators, especially parasitoid wasps and flies.


The thirteem-spot ladybird only appears every twenty or so years in the British Isles - where was this taken?

..and this is the pupa of Hippodamia tredecimpunctata a ladybird that lives in the habitat of marshy areas..

[JRsbugs]

Paul, bonitin is in Gent, Belgium.

Thanks for the more detailed explanations!

[bonitin]

Thanks Paul for your interesting explanations! Yes I'm from Belgium (Flanders)
I alsways find many of the Hippodamia tredecimpunctata among the border vegetation of a small lake in my local Nature Reserve in Gent.

I'm very happy with the link you gave Janet of all the ladybirds with all their different stages, now I can find out to what ladybird all my pics of larvae belong! Thanks a bunch!

For in case someone would be interested; this is how the Hippodamia tredecimpunctata look like, they have a more elongated body than other ladybirds..

and two pregnant ones, from the one in front its obvious and the other is in an earlier stage I think