This week’s star creature is a little ladybug that probably goes unnoticed by many people.

And I speak from experience because I only identified one when I started macro photography, as these beetles only grow to about three millimeters.

The twenty-spotted ladybird (Psyllobora vigintimaculata) is native to North America.

Another common name is the “little ladybug”.

Appearance

Twenty-spotted ladybugs are 1.75 to 3 millimeters long.

In the United States, all twenty-spotted ladybugs are white or pale with dark spots. However, in the eastern part of its range – which includes Oklahoma – some have an orange undercoat (pictured).

The pronotum (the protective shield just behind the head) is also white or pale, usually with four to five dark spots (pictured).

The elytra (shell-like covering on the wings) are also pale with dark spots. The pattern of the spots varies.

Vary

Twenty-spotted ladybugs can be found all over Oklahoma and most of the United States. Their range stretches across southern and western Canada, eh, and even the southern half of Alaska. They are absent in part of the Southeast, which includes all of Florida and parts of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.

Habitat

These beetles can be found anywhere with plants infected with late blight. In summer and fall, they can be found on any plant affected by powdery mildew, from ground level to tree tops.

Food

These beetles are fungi – mainly downy mildew on the leaf surface – and powdery mildew.

Tips

– Twenty-spotted ladybirds overwinter in small groups in leaf litter.

– The eggs are laid on leaves of plants infected with late blight in small groups.

Jumble

– Monarch butterflies always migrate, but I’m sure most of it has already happened. I received information from a wildlife biologist who indicated that the vast majority of monarchs probably hitchhiked on the northerly winds we had after that great cold front about ten days ago.

And that makes sense to me. If I were to fly to southern Mexico I wouldn’t mind having a little help from the wind!

You might still see one floating here and there, but that will be it.

On Thursday I was photographing butterflies and saw a dozen monarchs within hours. However, the area I was in is rich in wildflowers.

– Wasp warning

Also, a friendly reminder that some biting insects – like wasps – can be aggressive as the weather stays warm this fall. Two reasons for this are: populations of these insects are at a high annual level right now, and food is not as plentiful, so they can be a bit desperate.

– In addition, ragweed pollen remains high and will probably remain so until the first good killing frost.

Editor’s Note: Randy Mitchell is a freelance writer and photographer. He has been an avid ornithologist, nature enthusiast and photographer for over 40 years. Contact him at [email protected]