Been sitting on this one for a few days (not having found time to post it). But at the art festival last weekend, a woman asked if I had any prints of ladybugs. Didn’t have any on hand, but I did promise to post this shot (several others to be seen on this site by clicking on the “ladybug” tag). Fun one on the foliage of the California poppy.
Tag: Ladybug
Bonus: Evidence of Inadvertent Pollination
Bonus – Big Beetle on Something Weird
I was mowing the lawn yesterday late in the day and felt something on my arm. Turns out it was a ladybug-looking beetle. Was about four times the size of a normal ladybug, though. Neat looking thing. Seemed to be content riding around on the inside of my forearm. So I grabbed a camera and tried to shoot. Had a hard time getting her all in the shot as you can see – full frame there. A little gross with the freckles and the hair (yes, a gray or two you notice). But a really neat bug. Deposited her in the sedum angelina and she wandered off. Hope she’s full of aphids. They’re having a very, very good year around here.
Lots Going on on the Catmint
Catmint again. And sedum angelina in the background again. Was trying to shoot some bees and got distracted by the ladybug (turns out they have compound eyes, too – not a surprise but neat to see in some other shots). As I was following her (him?) with the camera, a bee showed up. Strange composition and kind of distracting with the blurs in the foreground and the deep shadows…but pretty neat to get both with a bit of focus. We’ll call the ladybug an “inadvertent pollinator”, too.
Bonus – Ladybug on a Yellow Flower
No idea what this flower is. Shot yesterday at the Ogden Botanical Gardens. Some swallowtails there coming soon, too. So windy while I was shooting. Really hard to catch detail and focus when things are flapping around. Fortunately, there were moments of calm…

Bonus – Ladybug on an Unknown Bud

According to the googles, ladybugs are indeed pollinators – as well as being otherwise very beneficial. The focus in this one isn’t stellar (apart from the brush on it), but I think it’s a neat shot. And it makes me smile.
Further, I know that when I’m discouraged, I generally do well to redouble my efforts. So – you get a bonus ladybug today!