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Cristian-M — Cottonwood Beetles 40D0026543
Published: 2009-03-11 13:29:43 +0000 UTC; Views: 1008; Favourites: 29; Downloads: 0
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Description
Cottonwood Leaf Beetle larvae (Chrysomela scripta)Four Life Stages of the Cottonwood Leaf Beetle:
1. Overwintering adult beetles emerge from bark and leaf litter in the spring as buds on host plants begin to open. The beetles mate and lay clusters of 25 or more yellow, oval-shaped eggs on the underside of leaves.
2. After the eggs hatch, the small black larvae begin to feed by skeletonizing the leaves. The larvae feed gregariously during the early instars. As the larvae grow, they become lighter in color. Larval development is completed in under two weeks.
3. Mature larvae attach themselves upside-down to leaves and bark of their host or to weeds and grass underneath their host to pupate. The insect insect at the top left of the picture is a larva about to pupate.
4. Adults emerge five to ten days after pupating. There are two or more generations per year (more in the South).
More info: [link]
Thanks to the talented and friendly Doug for his identification. He has beautiful nature images!
Featured by the talented Luca in her "BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN NATURE" journal: [link] .
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Comments: 13
this photo has been featured in "BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN NATURE" thank you for lending your art to this project..
Luca
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Very nice! I'm glad that someone knew what they were. I knew they were not ladybug larva, but didn't know what they were.
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Gorgeous shot, but they're ugly... (at the ugly bug ball, doo doo dooo dooo do doo...*starts dancing to the old sing-along songs*)
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You know what they say: "Beauty is in the eyes of the beerholder...".
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Howdy Christian....Ladybugs do not have nymphs. They have larvae and have a complete metamorphisis. [link] )
I am almost certain these are the larvae of the Cottonwood Leaf Beetle, [link] , or a similar genus. Ladybug larvae are predacious and will not congregate together. They will eat each other.
And you are posting rare images as I have never seen these! Great capture!
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Thanks, Doug! I mentioned your help in the image's description.
I was so embarrassed when I read your message... There were several things that were bothering me in this image: the fact that it looked like the larvae where eating the leaf, and that they where all bunched together. Now I know why!
I had 3 images of the Cottonwood Leaf Beetle in my gallery ([link] , [link] , [link] ) and I never realized that these are the larvae.
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I remember the first time I ever saw one of these. I was very young, hardly remember it, but we had a tree covered in them, my Dad thought they were parasites and started going crazy trying to kill all of them.
He felt rather silly later when he discovered they would have prevented the aphid infestation we had that summer.
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Fascinating! I've seen ladybugs galore, but not the nymphs. Excellent!
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What a great capture. First for me as well. Thanks very much for sharing
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I'm trying to post images of creatures that most people have never seen...
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Well my dear, it is working. 
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