22-spot Ladybird

Description:

The 22-spot Ladybird is a small ladybird found in a wide variety of habitats, particularly grassland, woodland edge, towns and gardens. It feeds on mildew on various plants. The lifecycle of a ladybird consists of four phases: the egg; the larval stage, during which the larva undergoes a series of moults; the pupa in which the larva develops into an adult; and the adult phase, during which the female lays egg in batches of up to 40. The 22-spot Ladybird is bright yellow with 22 round, black spots on the wing cases. It can be distinguished from the larger 14-spot Ladybird (the only other yellow and black ladybird) by its more rounded spots, which never merge into each other.

Habitat:

Spotted at Roodeplaat Dam, Pretoria