Form
Photographing a hunter
Adult lady beetles are named from the pronotum and the habit, not from a children’s sticker of seven spots. Get close enough to see the plate behind the head. Harmonia often shows a dark M or W on pale. Cycloneda is often spotless. Hippodamia wears two pale lines that meet.
Light
Late afternoon on a leaf is enough. Do not use a spray of water to “pose” an insect. If it flies, the note is that it flew.
Field clues
| Trait | Harmonia axyridis | Cycloneda sanguinea | Hippodamia convergens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spots | Zero to many | Usually none | Present; not the ID |
| Pronotum | Often a dark M/W on pale | Mostly black with pale margins | Two pale lines that meet |
| Houses | Clusters in cool weather | Does not pack walls | Does not pack Florida houses |
After
File the picture with the date. Write the plant. Then open EENY-170 or EENY-204 before guessing a species in public.