18th April 2010: Seven Spotted Ladybug
These photos were taken in April fifteen years ago with a PEN E-P2. At that time, I was thoroughly enjoying digital photography and took my camera wherever I went. These shots capture a ladybug that happened to wander by while I was photographing the poppies blooming in my garden. It was basking in the warm spring sunshine, relaxing on the petals of the poppy flowers. The Seven-spotted Ladybug is one of the most commonly seen ladybugs in Japan. As its name suggests, it has seven black spots on its back. It measures about 5 to 8 mm in length and is characterized by its bright red or orange wing covers. This species are widely distributed around the world. This ladybug is a predatory insect that primarily feeds on aphids, which are pests that damage crops. Because of this, it plays an important role in agriculture and horticulture as a natural enemy of aphids. As a result, the Seven-spotted Ladybug is often welcomed as a beneficial insect. Its larvae, like the adults, also feed o...