Seven-Spotted Ladybug - Coccinella septempunctata
Let’s give these little spotted gems some love and appreciation. I’ve been a little busy with their smaller and more unknown relatives, but now it’s their turn for the spotlight. There’s been quite a few Seven-Spotted Ladybugs throughout the years, so I’ve found them on many a plant. Large-sized as far as Ladybugs go, they’re easy to spot walking on plants or flying through the air. Don’t swoop down on them if you plan to pick them up; you can coax them onto your hand if you place your fingers nearby or if they land on your clothing. Similar to the Asian Ladybug (or Ladybugs in general for the matter), if frightened or agitated they will emit their smelly and noxious-tasting hemolymph defense to try and escape. Also like Asian Ladybugs, looks like that Seven-Spotted Ladybugs appear red or orange! Keep your palm open and don’t let them feel trapped and the worst they’ll do is draw their legs under their shell to protect them. In my experience they’ll roam on your hand for sometime before eventually flying away or suddenly dropping into the grass below. It’s just what they do to escape the occasional spell of danger since they’re used to feasting on soft-bodied insects with little difficulty...unless Ants are on patrol of course.
I’ve mentioned in posts with other insects that Ants like to tend to honeydew producing insects, offering protection in exchange for that delicious liquid. Now, if honeydew is so tantalizing, couldn’t Ladybug larvae or adults just eat the honeydew? To answer, kind of. The larvae need protein and carbohydrates to grow and molt to their adult forms. so soft-bodied insects are the priority (unless it’s Ladybug that only eats plants such as those of the Epilachna genus). Plus, they get honeydew when they eat the insects anyway. It’s a win-win! Since the adult Beetles can unfold their wings and fly around, they can be more open to other food sources such as honeydew, fruits, pollen and even fungi, depending on the specie. Soft-bodied insects are still best, but there are nutrients from the aforementioned sources that are also beneficial to a Ladybug’s overall health. Looking into it further, nutritional content of soft-bodied insects may vary due to which plant(s) they feed on. These extra food sources have also shown to be especially valued when prey items become more scarce. If only I’d thought to pay closer attention to the individual photographed in September. These diligent creatures need to do everything they can to stay healthy if it means surviving an overwinter or migrating.
Pictures were taken on June 2 and 27; July 12; September 21, 2020 and June 13, 2021 with a Google Pixel 4.
