Cannibalism - it exist
Ladybirds This year, I noticed quite a number of eaten ladybird pupas ( Fig. 1 ) and wondered why so many didn't make it into adulthood. Other years some pupas were eaten before becoming adults but this year the number seemed to be larger. Fig. 1 : Two ladybird pupas eaten, probably by other ladybirds or other insects, as birds would swallow the whole animal. Then I made a gruesome discovery. One day I noticed a larva preparing itself to become a pupa and thus an adult. I took some pictures ( Fig. 2 ) to be able to follow the process of transition from larva into a pupa to finish as an adult ladybird. Fig. 2: Ladybird preparing itself (I'm no expert so don't know whether he or she) to become a pupa. However, the next day I made an unpleasant discovery, i.e. the pupa was being eaten by another ladybird larva, starting from the tail ( Fig. 3 ). Afterwards, an aunt finished the job and only a little indigestible piece remained ( Fig. 4 ). Fig. 3 : One ladybi...