Convergent Lady Beetle

Convergent lady beetles are native to North America, but have also been found in South America after they were imported from California.

The female lady beetle lays 200 to 1000 eggs over several months during spring and early summer. The eggs are small and spindle-shaped and are laid near the prey in upright batches of fifteen to thirty eggs. The larvae are dark and somewhat alligator-shaped. Once the larvae begin feeding, they grow quickly and molt four times over a period of up to a month. Larvae generally move between plants by traveling across leaves. However, they are able to travel via soil if the leaves cannot be crossed. The pupal stage lasts about a week and mating takes place soon after adult eclosion. If the food supply is abundant, the female may start laying within about a week of mating, but if it is scarce, she may wait for up to nine months. Upon reaching the adult stage, females feed on fats and proteins for a week. This increases the production of juvenile hormone, helping the ovaries mature. This hormone also causes a behavior that results in long distance migration. In the western United States, these beetles may spend up to nine months in diapause in large groups in mountain valleys. Some populations have been shown to undergo diapause when nutrients are scarce, using limited food resources to develop fat bodies and postpone the onset of reproduction until they can find a consistent and sufficient food source. During diapause, adult females are known to actively engage in flight.