April 4, 2023 - Yosemite National Park officials report on spring in the park.

Another sign that spring is on its way: huge blobs of lady beetles! (Yes, lady beetles, not "ladybugs.” The insects commonly called “ladybugs” are technically beetles, and since term “bug” means something specific to entomologists, the more accurate term is “lady beetles.” Moving on…)

As familiar as lady beetles may be at home, finding them in these large swarms can be striking, but these aggregations are a usual, seasonal part of the life cycle for our local convergent lady beetles (Hippodamia convergens). They come up from the Central Valley of California to the lower-elevation portions of the Sierra Nevada, including portions of our park, to overwinter. In big groups, they’ll find a protected place to bury themselves, often beneath pine duff or other detritus (in this case beneath the dead and dried meadow material) to wait out the snow while remaining hidden from predators. Come spring, they climb on out and fly out of the mountains to lay eggs in terrain better populated with aphids, their larvae’s primary prey, thereby giving our local famers and gardeners a hand with those nasty pests.

Seeing a lady beetle in Yosemite may be an inviting experience, a fun reminder of home in what can feel like as a foreign, unique domain. However, even to common critters, Yosemite remains protected habitat, sometimes with an influence beyond the park borders. So, though it may just be a “bug,” we still love our lady beetles like all the other more “impressive” animals in the park, and you should, too. These ones in particular might actually return the favor in your neighborhood.

Source & photo: YNP