Just caught a brief chance to photograph this lady beetle before it flew away.
Most of us think of ladybugs or lady beetles as red with black spots, but these helpful beetles come in many colors, shapes and sizes. This one has the interesting name of Twicestabbed lady beetle, from the two spots of bright red on its wings (elytra), one on either side. The scientific name name is Chilocorus. Although it was only a brief glance, it is probably Chilocorus orbus, which feeds on scale insects.
Hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving!
Are they rare? I found a black ladybug with two spots while playing badminton. It was crawling on my shoulder. Please reply! š
Congratulations on finding a twicestabbed lady beetle! They aren’t necessarily rare, but not many people recognize them.
If you are interested in learning more about lady beetles, try the Lost Lady Beetle project at Cornell University http://www.lostladybug.org/
I think this is actually Chilocorus cacti, the cactus lady beetle.