Small Stone: Japanese Ladybug

Sitting in my office, at my computer, in Eddy Hall, eating an apple. I look down at my desk and see a bug is on its back, legs flailing wildly, trying unsuccessfully to right itself. I flip it over and–a ladybug! Where did she come from? How did she get in here? My apple is from Washington, did she ride all the way to Colorado on a Gala?

I hadn’t realized there were varieties of ladies, but apparently, she’s Japanese. The Asian lady beetle, sometimes known as the Halloween lady beetle or the Japanese lady beetle, range in color from yellow to orange to red, spots ranging from zero to 20, with “faces” that generally have a black “M”-like shape. Hers looks more like a “W” or a bird.

After spending some time with her, watching her crawl around on my desk, hand, and arm, thinking about Kelly (many who love and miss her have had an increase in ladybug sightings–one person saw one in church in the middle of winter, I encountered an entire colony last summer), I take her outside and let her go. Hopefully, if she’s not a native, this Colorado Winter won’t be too cold for her, mild as it’s seemed to the rest of us.