Ladybirds cluster

 A cluster of ladybirds have settled themselves in a corner of the ceiling for hibernation.

'Hmmm' I don't think that's a good idea, because when its gets colder the central heating will make it maybe too warm for them, so that they wake up again.

Weird enough, several years ago, another group of ladybirds did the same thing and sat hibernating on the same spot! 
I don't think they are the same ladybirds, but another generation. 3 years ago.
Why do they take the same spot? There are lots of other places....

 I posted in 2022 a post on 24-10-22 with a group of ladybirds sitting there on the same spot. Isn't that weird?

And here I found another group on the same spot back in 2016 

It does not make sense to me at all. Does anyone know? 

Ladybird

 A few days ago, I saw the first ladybird coming out of winter-sleep.
As I had no camera with me, I was not able to capture him.
Today I saw another one, sleeping on the side of my doormat. I love seeing the first ladybirds again. 

I saw some bumbles as well... spring is really on its way!

ladybird

 

 

 Today I noticed a ladybird, walking on the floor of my studio.

He had lost his way...all covered in a layer of dusty things.

I removed the dust and put him outside in the Erigeron flowers. I think he can find there a better place to hibernate than under the central heating in my studio.

Empty cocoon

 Yesterday I noticed that the cocoon was empty!

This was not according to my plan!

I had the cocoon taken inside, on some branches and leaves in a jar, to be able to follow the process of transformation easily and keep my eye on it. I was really disappointed to notice the the ladybird had come out, without me.

And to make it worse... where is he? Now, roaming around in my house without food would be a small disaster. I looked for him everywhere on the walls and windows...no ladybird to be seen anywhere.

However, today my sister came along and I showed the small empty cocoon and told the whole story that I wanted to photograph or maybe film the whole process... She suddenly noticed the ladybird sitting under a leaf where he sat in hiding!

I was so relieved to notice he had not flown away, but had waited for us to see.

I took some pics and then set there little jar with branches and leaves outside. No that he can fly away to find his food and have a free life!

So glad it all finished well!

Cocoon ladybird

I should have posted this on June 29th. For some reason I did n't.

The cocoon made some lifting movements. Stretching up and down. And then stopped for a while. I was hoping the ladybird would come out soon. but as it was getting dark, it did not.

 

Ladybird cocoon

Today I was on my bike and on my way cycling along some nice smaller roads, I wanted to pick some field flowers. I love the flowers that grow in the wild. 

On one of the leaves of the flower stem there were 2 ladybirds mating. I also noticed a cocoon of a ladybird glued on a leaf.

The ladybirds flew away. The cocoon stayed on the leaf. I took it home. Now I have a cocoon here. 

Tomorrow I hope the ladybird might come out. I will keep my eye on it.

I do hope to see the transformation happening.

Ladybirds coming out

 Last week I have seen a lot of Ladybirds (Lieveheersbeestjes) coming out of their wintersleep.

Spring has awakened them for a new season!

Larva of orange ladybird

Today I noticed a very small larva, which looked like a ladybird larva. However this one is yellow, and the ones I know of are black combined with a little orange.

I could determine the larva, which is of an orange ladybird...in dutch:(Meeldauwlieverheersbeestje,) in latin it listens to the name of: Halyzia sedecimguttata.

A beautiful name for such a small creature of maybe smaller than one centimeter.

Ladybird

 So sweet to see this ladybird sleeping in a beech-nut. 

Ladybirds

Now one week later...(see the post of Okt 16)

I had not seen the ladybirds anymore. Not on the window outside nor on the inside.

Of course I did not look for them all the time so I might have missed it. But this morning I noticed in the corner of the ceiling a black spot, when zooming in on it, there was sitting a cluster of ladybirds! more than 15 ladybirds...Somehow they managed to come into my house! Where was the open spot to enter?

Weird to me is, that some years ago I had a cluster of ladybirds sitting there on the same spot. (nov 06 2016) And an other year as well....same spot.

I have lots of other little corners in the room but no ladybird is sitting there. Why do they choose that same spot???

Is it in their DNA or does their cel-memory telling them this is the best spot to hibernate for winter?

I really have no clue why they always choose that same spot. Its very interesting...Does anyone know?

Ladybirds

 Today a beautiful sunny autumn day. As I went outside to sit in the sunshine for a while, I noticed lots and lots of ladybirds all sitting on my glass window. and on the other side of the house they were there as well!

I tried to count them, there were at least more than 50 ladybirds on one side! and more then 20 on the other side of the house. amazing sight...so many!

It looked like they were trying to get inside the house, and when I looked inside, at least 5 did... I tried to put them outside again. Did not get them all. Are they trying to find shelter and find a place to go hibernate? I don't know yet. Later when the sun left on that spot, the ladybirds were gone too.

Ladybird larva

 I found a ladybird larva on the glass window.

He has no chance to find aphids there, so I moved him and put him on one of my roses, where mostly aphids are feasting on the fresh buds. So I put him there so that he can have a good meal.

First and second ladybird this year

While trying to keep up with my garden, which is a bit ahead in this season of the year.
I did some cleaning and cutting away plants that already want to come out.

Then I noticed a ladybird who was almost drowning in a pot of water.
I took him out and hoped he would survive.
A while later he walked a little, so that meant he still lived.
His wings a bit open, maybe for faster drying.

Then a while later I saw another ladybird sitting on the wall of my house.
He was running back and forth, probably he did not know yet exactly where he wanted to go.

Ladybird running

This is not the first ladybird, I saw this year.
however because of the long winter they stayed in hiding-mode.

This one looks like running on a highway trying to catch up with spring.

ladybirds

A few days ago, the weather was great, with lots of sunshine.
Several ladybirds were gone out for a walk.
Wandering over the walls and window of my house.
Some were walking to high for me to make a picture,
but these two were willing to pose.

yellow ladybird

A yellow ladybird with many dots was running on my wall outside.
it was as if he was looking for something to find.
I ran inside the house to grab my camera.
When I came back, ready to make his photo,
he was gone!
So I decided to make his picture from my memory...
Maybe he will find what he was looking for, somewhere else.

hibernating ladybirds

This week I noticed a black spot in the corner of the ceiling in my studio.
Its supposed to be all white on the ceiling...
so, I took my binoculars to have a better view.
To my surprise there sat a group of ladybirds sleeping...hibernating.
I also had found some ladybirds walking around on my glass window.
They had maybe awakened because of the nice warm temperature inside.
I have picked them up to go sleep outside or maybe find something to eat.
but what do I do with the sleeping ones on the ceiling?

First ladybird

Yesterday was a beautiful warm day, unusual for the month of Januari.
I decided to do some gardening, enjoying the sunshine, meanwhile removing old leaves and dead plant-stuff.
Then I noticed the first ladybird sitting on a dead twig...enjoying sitting in the warm sun-rays.
I wanted to make a picture, but when I removed the twig from the plant, he fell off and I could not find him anymore.

I decided to make a drawing instead of the first ladybird of the year!