But this little ladybug, fierce and ferocious (if you’re an aphid), is not the same species! Have I finally found one of our native ladybugs?
Alas, no, it has two spots too few. The seven-spotted ladybug is closely related to its American cousin the nine-spotted ladybug, but the nine-spot is rarely seen these days. The seven-spot is native to Europe and, like the Asian beetles, was brought over to the States for pest control and then established itself in the wild.
This one established itself on the petals of my purple coneflower. But the aphids are on the roses! The roses! For the love of Sammy, the aphids are on the roses!
Ah well, I’ve gotten a little disoriented in foreign lands myself.
While trimming one of my favorite rose bushes, I noticed this ladybug was on the underside of one of the leaves. I rescued it from the clippings and put it back on a rose petal. It was a real eye-opener when I looked at the pictures later. I had always assumed the black patches on the white middle section were its eyes, and was surprised to see its real eyes just below that section, two compound eyes much like a fly’s eyes.