Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas's Journal

July 15, 2022

Lady Beetle BioBlitz Outcomes

Hello All,

The June Lady Beetle BioBlitz was wildly successful, thanks to all who participated. We had 310 observations of 17 different species from 60 participants! Perhaps the most exciting outcome was the rediscovery of two formerly missing native species, the Two-spotted Lady Beetle and the Esteemed Sigil Lady Beetle, which had not been recorded in Vermont since 1996 and 1972, respectively. Additionally, a new species for the state, Hyperaspis deludens, was recorded in Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge.

We are holding a final lady beetle bioblitz from July 30 to August 7 (Click here to join). Note: this event overlaps with National Moth Week and Mission Monarch. You can double up your searches for moths and Monarchs by searching for lady beetles along the way as well.

Finally, check out lady beetles in the news:

Photo highlights:


Two-spotted Lady Beetle © Julia Pupko


Esteemed Sigil Lady Beetle © Julia Pupko


Hyperaspis deludens © Julia Pupko

Posted on July 15, 2022 04:34 PM by jpupko jpupko | 2 comments | Leave a comment

June 18, 2022

Vermont Lady Beetle BioBlitz Kickoff

Our third annual Vermont Lady Beetle Bioblitz is certainly off to a dreary start. “When it is raining and below 55, it is usually rather difficult to rustle up lady beetles,” said Julia Pupko, Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas Project Coordinator. “Even though today's conditions were not optimal (or even average) for lady beetle searches, we still had 7 observations of 6 different species! I would say that the first day of the BioBlitz went very well.”

Today, naturalists across the state found non-native Seven-spotted, Fourteen-spotted, and Asian Lady Beetle species, along with the native Polished, Spotted, and Parenthesis Lady Beetle species. Check out the observations on the Vermont Lady Beetle BioBlitz 2022 page. While you are there, don’t forget to join the project!


Polished Lady Beetle © redeft23 on iNaturalist

Posted on June 18, 2022 11:57 PM by jpupko jpupko | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 13, 2022

2022 Lady Beetle BioBlitz Events!

Breaking news - our 2022 Vermont Lady Beetle BioBlitz starts in just under 5 days! From June 18 to June 26, we will be scouring Vermont for lady beetles. We hope you will join us in our search, whether you look in your backyard or at the peaks of the mountains. Join the 2022 Lady Beetle BioBlitz project by following this link.

Want to join VCE biologists and ECO AmeriCorps members for lady beetle walks/ bioblitzes? Register for one or both of these events here:

Don't know where or how to start searching for and documenting lady beetles? Check out this post for some more information.

Want to learn more about Vermont's lady beetle species so you know what to look for? Check out:

Email Julia Pupko at jpupko@vtecostudies.org with any questions!

Posted on June 13, 2022 02:19 PM by jpupko jpupko | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 6, 2022

New lady beetle species discovered in VT, lady beetle bioblitz, and events

On May 13, I wandered through a neighbor’s yard, looking for lady beetles, known to most people as ladybugs. I had not found a single beetle in over an hour, which usually means that I will not find any if I continue surveying. I was about to dump the contents of my net when I noticed a tiny black speck with pale yellow spots. “Aha! An Octavia Lady Beetle,” I thought to myself. After scooping the tiny beetle into a vial and photographing her, I realized that this was a new species to me. As it turns out, this was also a new species to the state of Vermont—Hyperaspis troglodytes—which only has a total of three observations in iNaturalist across its range, which stretches from New England to the midwestern U.S..


Hyperaspis troglodytes © Julia Pupko

My neighbor may not be the only person to have a rare lady beetle in their yard, you may have one in your own backyard as well! From June 18 to 26, 2022 the Vermont Atlas of Life team is holding their annual Lady Beetle BioBlitz. Participation is simple—whenever you find a lady beetle, simply photograph it and upload your observations to iNaturalist. Your observations will be automatically pulled into the Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas and the Vermont Lady Beetle BioBlitz 2022. You can search anywhere from your favorite natural area to your own backyard! Be sure to join the Vermont Lady Beetle BioBlitz project to stay up to date with bioblitz events.

Follow this link to learn more about how to search for and photograph lady beetles. For more information on our search for missing lady beetles, check out this blog post. The Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas website can be found here.

Upcoming Events:
June 24: Lady Beetle walk at Round Pond, South Hero VT (check back for details soon!)
June 25: BioBlitz at Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge - event details here

Posted on June 6, 2022 06:37 PM by jpupko jpupko | 2 comments | Leave a comment

May 6, 2022

The Search for Missing Lady Beetles

She moves through your garden with great stealth, hunting. She knows her next meal is here somewhere, she can smell it. She creeps closer, closer. Suddenly, her prey is within striking distance, she just has to make sure that it doesn’t sense her before she’s close enough to pounce. With a final rush of movement—success!

If you had looked out your back window towards your garden at this exact moment, you likely would not have seen this drama unfolding: a female lady beetle stalking an aphid through your peas. Most lady beetles (also called ladybugs) feed on small, soft-bodied insects, including aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects. And many of these insects can cause a lot of damage to garden plants and native flora if their populations grow too large.

Lady beetles are highly mobile and attracted to areas with high prey populations. They can smell both the chemical compounds released by host plants when under attack from lady beetle prey and/or the honeydew released by aphids and similar insects. Catching the scent of these compounds allows lady beetles to be more selective about where they feed and lay their eggs, seeking out prime, prey-ridden habitats for their offspring to mature.

For several reasons, our native lady beetle species are particularly well adapted for pest control. First, they are voracious predators throughout their lives. For example, a single larva of our native Hyperaspis binotata, before pupating and emerging as an adult beetle. Second, many native species adjust their life cycles annually to align with population booms of their preferred prey species and actively hunt native prey much more efficiently than introduced lady beetles. Finally, some species, such as the Twenty-spotted Lady Beetle, feed on mildews and fungi that damage plants.

As many of you know, all is not well with our native lady beetles. Since 1968, some native lady beetle populations have declined by as much as 68% throughout their range. These declines are likely caused by introducing non-native species and diseases, land-use change, and pesticide use, with introduced lady beetles and land-use change thought to be the primary causes of decline. In Vermont, ten of our 36 native species have not been recorded in decades. The Vermont Atlas of Life (VAL) team started the Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas (visit project website here) to understand our current lady beetle fauna better so we can inform conservation initiatives and policies surrounding these vital insects. Four of these missing species are of particular interest to the VAL team due to the sharp declines they have experienced across much of their range. All four once had ranges that spanned much of North America, and all have been documented as essential species in agricultural crops.

The Nine-spotted Lady Beetle (Coccinella novemnotata) is the first missing species of note. A habitat generalist, the Nine-spotted is usually found in agricultural fields, meadows, and prairies and seemed to begin declining sharply around 1980. This species can have up to two generations per year and is typically encountered between late June and August in the northern parts of its range. In Vermont, the Nine-spotted Lady Beetle was last seen in the Burlington and South Burlington area in 1996.

Our second focal species is the Two-spotted Lady Beetle (Adalia bipunctata), last documented in Burlington in 1996. In addition to crops, the Two-spotted Lady Beetle utilizes tree and shrub habitats.


Nine-spotted Lady Beetle © Ellyne Geurts


Two-spotted Lady Beetle © Allan Harris

The third focal species is the Transverse Lady Beetle (Coccinella transversoguttata), last seen in 1986 in Salisbury. This species was once one of the most abundant species found in crops. They are associated with early successional areas and edge habitats, particularly those containing lupine, willow sp., and clover. Transverse Lady Beetles likely have two to three generations per year in northern climates.


Transverse Lady Beetle © Jesse Rorabaugh

The Thirteen-spotted Lady Beetle (Hippodamia tredecimpunctata) is our final focal species. While preferred habitat includes reed beds and marshes, Thirteen-spotted Lady Beetles are frequent agricultural crop visitors. This species is most commonly found between July and August, taking approximately 20 to 28 days to develop from an egg to an adult.


Thirteen-spotted Lady Beetle © Ilkka Kaita-aho

This summer, we are asking you to help us search for these four species (and document any other lady beetles you find along the way!), especially in the locations where each species was historically documented across Vermont. We have created maps that show every town where these species were recorded. This information, along with identification tips, can be found using the following links:

If you find any lady beetles, especially one of the missing species, take photos of each part of the lady beetle—head, pronotum (middle section), and elytra (wing covers)—and upload your photos as an observation to iNaturalist. Our 2022 field season is off to a strong start—as of May 6, we already have 50 observations of 7 different species!

It helps if you bring a clear container into the field with you to place beetles in for photographing—they are fast and fly away quickly. For more information on how to search for and document lady beetles, check out our Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas field manual.

Posted on May 6, 2022 01:09 PM by jpupko jpupko | 0 comments | Leave a comment

January 25, 2022

Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas Progress Report

I must start this by saying - you are all incredible naturalists. Over the last three years, community naturalist efforts to document Vermont's current lady beetle fauna has yielded 2,707 research grade observations of 27 lady beetle species. We recently finished a report, documenting Atlas findings thus far. Here are some of the highlights:

Species Rediscoveries:

Five species have been rediscovered:

New Species Discoveries

In 2021, a lady beetle species, native to the eastern United States, was discovered in Vermont for the first time. During a bioblitz in Underhill, Vermont, VAL naturalist Nathaniel Sharp swung his net at a mysterious, small beetle and quickly realized he has captured someone interesting. After close examination in his home office, VAL director Kent McFarland had a tentative identification - a Disk-marked Lady Beetle (Hyperaspis disconotata). This ID was quickly confirmed, and Vermont's number of recorded native species increased by one.

Non-native Species

Sadly, not all of our findings have been positive. Given the potential correlation between the introduction of non-native lady beetle species and the decline of native species, we have been monitoring the records of non-native species closely. Five non-native lady beetle species have been reported to iNaturalist since the start of the Atlas in 2019—Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis), Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle (Propylea quatuordecimpunctata), Seven-spotted Lady Beetle (Coccinella septempunctata), Variegated Lady Beetle (Hippodamia variegata), and Mexican Bean Beetle (Epilachna varivestis). In total, there were 1971 observations of these five species, which is 73 percent of the total lady beetle observations uploaded to iNaturalist from 2019 to 2021. We will continue monitoring these records over the coming field seasons to better understand these dynamics.

If you are interested in learning more, you can read our full report here.

Posted on January 25, 2022 06:25 PM by jpupko jpupko | 3 comments | Leave a comment

October 5, 2021

Reminder to submit your data!

Hello lady beetle enthusiasts!

As we move into chilly fall weather, the lady beetles will begin wrapping up their activity for the year, crawling into protected nooks and crannies, and entering diapause for the winter. With the summer field season wrapping up, it is also time for data analysis. If anyone has any observations that have yet to be uploaded to iNaturalist, please do so! If you completed full surveys, please be sure to either fill out the the PDF survey form (link here) and email it to jpupko@vtecostudies.org or fill out the google form version of the document (link here).

Please email me at jpupko@vtecostudies.org with any questions!

Best,
Julia

Posted on October 5, 2021 03:26 AM by jpupko jpupko | 0 comments | Leave a comment

July 29, 2021

New Lady Beetle Species Discovered in Vermont!

On July 10, Kent McFarland and Nathaniel Sharp were sweep netting their way around Underhill, Vermont with a group of excited BioBlitzers. As they walked and chatted with the group, Kent said, "You just never know when you are going to find something cool. New species are discovered all the time."

Kent's words turned out to be prophetic for that very day. As they were all walking back towards the cars, Nathaniel saw something and swung his net. When he looked inside, he saw a small, black beetle with elongated spots. "I walked over to Kent and asked if he knew what species this was," said Nathaniel. "Kent responded that he was not sure, so he took the beetle home to identify it."

"Yeah as soon as I saw the thing I just had this feeling that this lady beetle was something special and knew that I had to take it back with me," said Kent. After hours pouring over a key, Kent had a tentative identification—Hyperaspis disconotata, the Disk-marked Lady Beetle. Putting the images of the small beetle into iNaturalist confirmed the identification and that a new species of lady beetle had just been recorded in Vermont for the first time.

The Disk-marked Lady Beetle is native to North America and is relatively rare—there have only been a handful of records throughout history. This species can be found from the upper midwestern states such as Minnesota to the New England coast, then north into Canada. There is some indication that the Disk-marked Lady Beetle primarily utilizes arboreal (forest) ecosystems. Other than that, little else is known about this species.

Other species in the Hyperaspis genus, such as Hyperaspis binotata, are typically arboreal and are voracious predators of scale insects. Species within the Hyperaspis genus seem to be encountered most frequently between late spring to mid summer. It is possible that the Disk-marked Lady Beetle's life history is similar to that of others in the Hyperaspis genus. This cannot be determined without more data, and you can help! Photograph any lady beetle you see and upload your photos to iNaturalist, where they will be included in the Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas on iNaturalist. You may just find a new species too.

Posted on July 29, 2021 08:13 PM by jpupko jpupko | 1 comment | Leave a comment

June 1, 2021

Methods of Finding and Photographing Lady Beetles

Here are some tips and tricks that I have found helpful for finding and taking identifiable photographs of these speedy beetles.

When should I look for lady beetles?
Lady beetles are similar to many people I know - they are the most active on nice days. If the temperature is 60 degrees F or above with sunny to overcast skies, the beetles will likely be out. If it is cold or rainy, you will have a much lower chance of finding them.

Where should I look for lady beetles?
Lady beetles use all vegetation types, from trees, to shrubs, to herbaceous plants. It is helpful to look for trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants that are visibly loaded with scale insects, aphids, mealy bugs, or other small insects (aka a lady beetle buffet) or show symptoms of high pest loads. For species-specific habitat preferences, check out the species profiles for the lady beetles that have been recorded in Vermont (link here)!

How should I look for lady beetles?
There are a number of different methods that you can use:

  1. Visual Search: When using this method, you simply scan vegetation with your eyes, collecting and photographing lady beetles as you go.
  2. Sweep netting: This method requires an insect net. You can either buy one (such as this one) or make your own. When sweep netting, you want to sweep the net across vegetation (herbaceous; tree and shrub branches), knocking beetles into the net. (See a video demonstration here). After you walk and sweep for a while, stop, close the net, then scoop insects into clear containers to photograph them.
  3. Beat sheeting: Place a sheet under a bush or other vegetation. Shake or gently hit the vegetation overhanging the sheet, knocking insects onto the sheet. Scoop them into containers to photograph. Watch a video demonstration here.

How do I photograph the beetles well?

  1. Having a macro lens for a camera or phone is helpful, but not required.
  2. Shading the beetle from the sun to avoid glare can improve the picture.
  3. It is important to photograph the beetle from multiple angles (get the head, middle section, wing covers, underside) and take more photos than you think you need, increasing your chances of getting a few good photos.
  4. Either measure the beetle, or have a size reference in the photos, especially if it is one of the small, overall black beetles.
  5. It can be helpful to bring a cooler and chill the beetles for 5 to 10 minutes - this does not hurt them, it just slows them down!

If you have any questions, leave us a comment or email me at jpupko@vtecostudies.org!

Posted on June 1, 2021 05:15 PM by jpupko jpupko | 10 comments | Leave a comment

May 5, 2021

Lady beetles in focus - Spurleg Lady Beetles

Spurleg Lady Beetles (genus Brachiacantha) are typically small (2 - 6 mm), forest-dwellers. Their common name (Spurleg) refers to a spur on the tibia of their front legs. This genus holds over 20 species, with 5 species that have been found in Vermont. Click the links below to view each species profile on the VAL website:

Ursine and Four-spotted Spurleg Lady Beetles (and likely other Vermont Spurleg Lady Beetles as well) are associated with ant nests in their larval stage, developing underground in an ant colony.

Spurleg Lady Beetles can be difficult to find, since they are largely forest-dwelling. However, Spurleg Lady Beetles can occasionally be found using sweep netting in lower vegetation, especially in fields or shrubby areas that are surrounded by forests. Some species, such as Brachiacantha felina and Four-spotted Spurleg Lady Beetle seem to preferentially or frequently utilize edge habitats, respectively, and are more commonly found on some grasses and legumes. The Ursine Spurleg Lady Beetle also uses edge habitats, crops, and early successional areas. Also, Ursine Spurleg Lady Beetles are associated with milkweed, so they are a great species to survey for when looking for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars!

Spurleg Lady Beetles can express intraspecific variability, and many species look relatively similar. When photographing these species, try to take photos of all angles of the beetle (head, pronotum - middle segment, wing covers, and underside). Additionally, measure the beetle if possible. These species have been found in the greatest numbers between May and July, so be on the lookout for them in the coming weeks!

Ursine Spurleg Lady Beetle, © Nathaniel Sharp

Posted on May 5, 2021 09:22 PM by jpupko jpupko | 0 comments | Leave a comment