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Harmonia conformis
Still with buckled wing covers this ladybird is almost fully out of it's pupal case.Torn remnants of the case can be seen behind the abdomen.
In a local nature reserve.
A bit like giving birth to yourself.
5 Comments
It looks like she has popped the buttons on her girdle :)
My failures in stock that I breed is mainly due to drying out and the shell gets too tough. Wild insects must have many more challenges.
Very interesting stuff Martin. I wonder how often they get stuck.
Mark, I wonder if this ladybird beetle is stuck in this exuvia and has been there for some time. I have recently watched one emerge over several hours and taken a series of images over that time. I make the following observations; firstly, they emerge without spots (except for the thorax and these appear later over several hours. Secondly the elytra are already smooth. I assume ours are the same species and even if not, these patterns should be similar. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/639... What do you think?
Thanks Maria. I really should wear my reading specs as I had no idea what this was until I got home. :-)
Great capture!