It's time for the Wednesday edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & ...

October 20, 2021

It's time for the Wednesday edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

It may not look like much, but this is actually one of our most beloved insects, just in a different stage of life. This is a ladybug pupa!

Ladybugs (family Coccinellidae) go through four stages of life: eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. The larvae and the adults prey on a variety of pest insects (including aphids), but in the stage between these two parts of their lives, ladybugs don't do much of anything. They cement themselves to a leaf and their body undergoes a radical change, transforming from a caterpillar-like larva into the adult form we know and love. It takes one to two weeks for this change to take place.

It might seem a little late in the year for a ladybug to be in the pupal stage. However, ladybugs overwinter as adults, so once this one transitions into its adult form, it will soon seek shelter for the winter.

ABOUT #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. In this series of posts, Administrator of Science Ben Williams ventures outdoors to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world. New updates are posted Monday - Friday, with previous posts highlighted on the weekends. This series of posts is made possible thanks to the support of VMNH Corporate Partner Carter Bank & Trust (www.cbtcares.com).

NATURE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
If you discover something in nature that you would like help identifying, be sure to message us right here on Facebook with a picture (please include location and date of picture) and we'll have our experts help you identify it!