Sometimes known as ladybugs in the United States, though internationally biologists prefer the name "lady beetle" because these little critters obviously aren't birds and the term "bug" is considered vulgar...
Whatever you wanna call them, these tiny beetles from the family Coccinellidae are the cutest of all insects, passing through distinct stages in their tiny lives...
Some ladybirds are yellow...
Some are completely spotless...
A funky black-n-cream design... here snacking on some colour-co-ordinated aphids...
Ladybird passion...
Wow look at this. Adds new meaning to that expression "jiggy-wiggy"...
Ladybird lady with clutch of tiny eggs...
Ladybird larva in yellow with black dots...
Terrifying-looking black and red larva savaging aphid...
This is called the pupal stage, just before the larva turns into a ladybird proper...
In a fully-grown ladybug, the candy-coloured outer shell opens up...
... revealing delicate inner wings that are surprisingly huge...
Taking off...
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