It has been generally mistaken by some of us that all ladybugs are predators and feed on aphids.
Actually, some ladybugs are vegetarian.
Unlike other ladybugs, this species which is known as the Mexican Bean Beetle (Subcoccinella Vigintiquatuorpunctata) doesn't fly around as much.
It is not shiny like other ladybugs but is completely covered with tiny hair instead.
This ladybug is feeding on a tomato leaf. It feeds by clinging to the under surface of a leaf and eating irregular sections of the lower leaf surface.
It lays yellow cluster of eggs on the underside of leaves.
How many eggs do you see up there?
Despite the damage done by these ladybugs, my cherry tomatoes have been growing acceptably well. Perhaps, it is not just these bugs that been having a good meal, so have the birds and dragonflies. Thank you to the existence of ecology.
In case you are wondering, the snake plant is there to provide a sturdy support for the tomatoes.
