It's the year of the ladybug

It's the year of the ladybug, and a great time to learn about the never-satisfied little caterpillar that turns into a ladybug. I have now tried both at home and in the nursery, and have bred some.

You find larvae and pupae where you find aphids, often on large thistles. A caterpillar eats 300-400 aphids before it becomes a pupa. After 1-2 weeks, a ladybug emerges. It's yellow when it comes out, but it doesn't take long before it starts getting dots, and more color. It doesn't make much of itself at the start, so it can live for many hours before you let it out.