Hours & Admissions
Directions
January 30, 2021
We're reaching into the archives for today's #BenInNature update presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust! The following post was originally published on May 14, 2020.
What a grotesque, hairy beast! And that thing crawling across my forearm ain't much to look at, either!
When you see a critter like this, it might be hard to believe that it will grow up into one of the most beloved insects out there. But believe it or not, it's true: this is a ladybug larva! To be more specific, it's the larva of Harmonia axyridis, better known as the multicolored Asian ladybeetle. In some parts of America, it's also called the Halloween ladybeetle due to its tendency to invade homes around October in preparation for overwintering.
Unfortunately, these ladybeetles are not native to the U.S.; it originally hails from eastern Asia. To make matters even more unfortunate, it wasn't an accidental introduction; we brought them here on purpose about 100 years ago, and they have since spread across North America.
So why did we bring them here? The answer to that question will be revealed in tomorrow's nature post. That's right, it's the first two-parter! See you then!
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!
