Posted on 10/05/2008 8:12:31 PM PDT by neverdem
Associated Press
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The nine-spotted ladybug was considered so common, charismatic and crop-friendly that it was adopted in 1989 as New York's official state insect.
As it turns out, the species may have disappeared from the state nearly two decades before that. Recent surveys in New York and the Northeast have found none of the once-ubiquitous beetles entomologists call Coccinella novemnotata-- or C-9, for short.
The decline of C-9 and other native ladybugs happened so quickly and precipitously that scientists have launched a nationwide project to try to understand why some species have all but vanished while others have greatly increased their numbers and range.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Why that’s simple....
...it’s Bush’s fault.
Bush’s fault!
Now that you mention it, I haven’ seen any ladybugs in San Diego in a couple years. Usually we get a few times a year when they are swarming. Anyone else notice?
Ladybugs are so smart leaving the liberal northeast.
We’re all broke out with ‘em up here in Placer County.
Ever since they got permission from the courts to start marrying honeybees, both species have been in decline.
The red ones haven’t been around for years. The Orange Asian ones are a pest; congregating in huge numbers at building entrances this time of year, and showing up inside all winter long.
The answer: They got eaten by something.
Its called punctuated equilibrium.
I live in New York and I can tell you I have seen them.
A few years ago Michigan was invaded by the yellowish looking ladybug. Gosh those were awful.
“An unforeseen consequence of the Asian ladybug’s importation is that the insect has a habit of swarming on — and in — homes, making it somewhat of a nuisance”.
It will also bite you unlike the domestic nine-spotted ladybug. I hate ‘em.
Bayer pesticides again?
Maybe the ones sold around the country were able to mate with the "locals" but not able to produce offspring. Who knows?
So that’s where they went!
Damn you, Karl Rove, and your infernal anti-nine-spotted-ladybug chemtrails!
Interesting. Now that I think about it, I used to see ladybugs all the time when I was a kid. In all honesty, I can’t remember seeing one in the last 20 years.
re: the orange ones —they generally show up over my dining table around Thanksgiving. I’ve just started spraying them with insect spray and vacuuming them up - they are the nastiest things.
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