These Convergent Lady Bugs are emerging from their long winter hibernation under forest leaves on the first warm day of spring. They are climbing up onto this plant to reach the sun's warmth. There is not much room up on the top branches, so they are climbing all over each other and falling off only to reclimb up the same plant again and again. See the "Lady bugs on snowy branch" - the next day.
Every fall as the temperature drops and the aphid populations disappear, the lady bugs have little food to eat. They fly to the lower mountains where they apparently eat pollens and nectar. They hibernate for the winter in the foothills under pine matts or oak leaves to avoid the freezing air that would kill them. This species is called the Convergent Lady Bug. There are many other species, some are not even red. The red color serves to keep preditors away since it warns them of the foul tasting chemical which comes from their leg joints. Whenever the warm and sunny days arrive, masses of these little gems climb out on branches to get warm.
Every fall as the temperature drops and the aphid populations disappear, the lady bugs have little food to eat. They fly to the lower mountains where they apparently eat pollens and nectar. They hibernate for the winter in the foothills under pine matts or oak leaves to avoid the freezing air that would kill them. This species is called the Convergent Lady Bug. There are many other species, some are not even red. The red color serves to keep preditors away since it warns them of the foul tasting chemical which comes from their leg joints. Whenever the warm and sunny days arrive, masses of these little gems climb out on branches to get warm.