14-spotted lady beetle larva - Day 2 - Propylea quatuordecimpunctata - Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA Size: ~2 mm
June 29, 2009.
Second instar. Shown near my ring finger for three reasons:
1. Scale - the ring is 3 mm wide, and gives a good impression of just how small the larva is.
2. Many of these photos show the larva on my hand because it's an active insect that seldom stayed put on a leaf during photo sessions. I know that in-hand photos aren't as useful for ID as those showing the insect in its natural habitat, but for this captive-reared individual, its container (and my hand) are its habitat. Plus, there are very few larval images of this species on the Guide, so I believe these photos are valuable regardless of location.
3. My camera's not very good, and doesn't focus well on small, close-up subjects unless some human body part is nearby. Until I get a better camera, I'll sometimes be in the picture.
Images of this individual: tag all Contributed by Abigail Parker on 25 July, 2009 - 2:25pm Last updated 10 May, 2012 - 10:30am |