It’s amazing to discover a brand new creature I’ve never met before and then even more amazing to be able to identify it and learn something about it.

We first met little creature back on day 40 when I found a strange looking pupa on a leaf in our garden. Back then she was this strange looking bug and I had no clue what she was.

Today we were looking at little creature through the microscope I noticed some wriggling going on inside the pupal casing. I guessed it would not be long until we found out who she was and I had hoped to witness her emergence. Unfortunately a few hours went by while I was preoccupied and she was already out when I looked again.

So here she is in all her glory, a Yellow Shouldered Ladybird, Apolinus lividigaster (synonym Scymnodes lividigaster) of FAMILY COCCINELLIDAE sitting atop her now discarded pupal casing.

I found the following website a very useful references and where I made the photo identification http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_ladybirds/YellowEyes.htm

This macro photo is my first try at using a 2x teleconverter with my 100mm macro lens rather than extension tubes. I think it works well! 😉

Photo: Robert Rath, ‘366 Days of 2012, Day 47 – Little Creature Part II’. 3.2 secs at 200mm (macro) f/16, ISO 200 + Fill Flash