Little Monsters Part 31 - Harlequin Ladybird Larva

This afternoon I had the great fortune to spot both a Ladybird larva and and adult Ladybird feasting on aphids in the garden!

Little Aphid under the stem, may be safe for now, maybe not!

Considered a pest in North America the Asian Ladybird or Harlequin Ladybird is native to East Asia and is considered just another beneficial insect here. The adults eat a fair amount of aphids though it is the larvae that are truly ravenous!
They're easier to use for aphid control too as they can't fly away. I sometimes gather them from weeds that are growing near the street and bring them back to the garden by the house. Gently brushing the ladybird larvae onto the rose bushes, they will then crawl about looking for aphids to dine upon.

This particular larva must have been hungry and a bit frustrated, there were no aphids on the leaf it was rapidly roaming about exploring.

While the top of the head is just out of the DOF the powerful jaws are easy to make out.

The tufts of bristles and the grey skin make them look a little like small replicas of Godzilla!

In a few more days, after fattening up on sweet little aphids, the larva will find a sheltered space, form a yellowish pupa and soon emerge as a colourful adult, to fly off in search of a mate and begin the cycle all over again!

More details and photos of the Harlequin Ladybird: Little Monsters Part 10

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Also, if you like macro photography, check out some of the earlier posts in this series.