A helpful nuisance

In the early 1980s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture claimed to have established the Japanese ladybug into the North American landscape after decades of attempts. Japanese ladybugs eat aphids, which had been causing large crop losses for American pecan and soybean growers.

By the late 1990s, Southeast Missouri began to experience autumn outbreaks of Japanese ladybugs. These insects hibernate through the winter and seek out warm places like inside the walls of people's homes to spend the cold months. Usually after a few frosty mornings in the fall, Japanese ladybugs will begin to congregate on south- and west-facing exterior walls and windows of houses, taking advantage of the sun's warmth.

Although some farmers may consider this insect beneficial, most people now look upon it as an October-November nuisance. It has a distinctive bad odor when squashed.

Investigating a swarm of Japanese ladybugs will reveal a great variation in oranges and reds, along with varying numbers and sizes of black spots of the individual members.

Each Japanese ladybug also sports a distinctive white collar behind its head that most native ladybugs do not. The Japanese ladybug is also larger in body size.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell. Find this column at semissourian.com to order a reprint of the photo. Find more work by him at the O'Tenem Gallery.