Leah found two of these handsome lady beetles last week by beating the branch of a Douglas-fir. Branch beating , where you give a branch a sharp rap or three with a stick and have the invertebrates on the branch fall onto a sheet or into a net, is a great way to see things you've completely overlooked. Including Painted Lady Beetles (Mulsantina picta). This is an extremely variable species, which ranges in colour from bright red to yellow to solid brown. These mottled individuals are particularly handsome. Regardless of the colour the pattern on the middle section (the pronotal markings) of this beetle is distinctive. Yellow marking on the underside are also a good identification mark.
Not much is known about this lady beetle, it is assumed to eat scales and aphids and is found in conifers across North America.
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AuthorsTwo biologists on a beautiful property armed with cameras, smart phones and a marginal knowledge of websites took up the challenge of documenting one species a day on that property. Join along! Posts and photographs by Leah Ramsay and David Fraser (unless otherwise stated); started January 1, 2014. Categories
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