Life cycle of a ladybird (image heavy)

davidwozhere
Posted 12/07/2015 - 19:57 Link
In mid May I was privileged to discover a ladybird laying her eggs on our rose arbour. I was able to track their progress through the entire development of the larvae, right up to the emergence of the new ladybirds from their pupae. ..... And there were a couple of surprises too!

I just grabbed the camera in time for the last egg to be laid (hence the poor shot).
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and, as if an omen for the future, "dinner" came along to inspect the result!
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10 days later, there were distinct signs of things happening
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and after 17 days, this scrum erupted, with tiny larvae scrambling to eat everything left in the egg sacs
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They scattered remarkably quickly onto the surrounding rose stems where there was no shortage of food (there is a second one barely visible on the very tip)
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and began to eat everything that wasn't quick enough to escape
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At the end of June they were fully grown and had moved onto the cherry tree - none chose to pupate on the rose stems or the arbour which, by now, were heavily patrolled by ants who were cultivating the aphids
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And the first surprise was their ferocity - this one was nipping my wrist in annoyance at having been disturbed - it could clearly be felt as it did so!
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Pupating entailed anchoring the tail and violently condensing the entire body backwards and tucking the head underneath.
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It took around four hours to effect a dramatic change
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Then the second surprise - the little perishers are cannibals! Not good to pupate first!
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When they emerge, after about 10 days, their wing cases lack colour and they can't quite figure out how to control or pack those enormous wings
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They get there, eventually
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and all that remains is a husk
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Pentax K5 with Macro Takumar 50mm and SMC M 100mm macro lenses
Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

My page on Photocrowd
Edited by davidwozhere: 12/07/2015 - 20:07
Algernon
Posted 12/07/2015 - 20:49 Link
Fantastic! and all captured so clearly to show the full story.

--
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi
1stEverPentax
Posted 12/07/2015 - 21:43 Link
Wow...what an epic adventure you got yourself into. I felt like i was watching something from BBC Springwatch complete with knowledgeable commentary. Well done...i'm really impressed. Learnt a few things as well.


regards

Karlo
Blythman
Posted 12/07/2015 - 21:46 Link
Very good timeline with a couple of surprise pictures. And I've learnt a little. Thank you
Alan


PPG
Flickr
Stuey
Posted 12/07/2015 - 21:54 Link
That's great - nice idea - nice shots etc - well done
K10D, K5 plus plenty of clueless enthusiasm.

My Flickr site link
Daronl
Posted 12/07/2015 - 22:48 Link
Absolutely marvellous study with truly top class professional photos; this is the standard to aspire to in our photographic efforts.

Regards
Daronl
doingthebobs
Posted 12/07/2015 - 23:55 Link
Daronl wrote:
Absolutely marvellous study with truly top class professional photos; this is the standard to aspire to in our photographic efforts.

x2.

I feel educated about ladybirds too!
Bob
jvs
Posted 13/07/2015 - 08:53 Link
Like Springwatch - only better! Great photos and fascinating to see all the stages of development. Thanks!
John
Vuillaume
Posted 13/07/2015 - 08:56 Link
What a great series - and very interesting study! Thanks for sharing this
Best regards
John

PPG link
redbusa99
Posted 13/07/2015 - 12:13 Link
amazing set, well done, l never knew they were so vicious
odd lens or 2

Flickr
Posted 13/07/2015 - 13:56 Link
Great study, as all have said above... Have learnt an awful lot... The middle section from eggs to the thing we recognise flying around is a real eye opener...

Best
geordie01
Posted 13/07/2015 - 14:29 Link
Very good
mudge
Posted 13/07/2015 - 14:52 Link
What a great sequence of images! Well done to follow it through so comprehensively!
davidwozhere
Posted 13/07/2015 - 22:34 Link
You can't watch something like that and not share it -
thank you all for your comments and I'm pleased that you enjoyed the results
Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

My page on Photocrowd
derek897
Posted 13/07/2015 - 23:08 Link
Top class work. Great to see it followed through each stage.
I know what i like, If not always why.

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