Tuesday was gusty, threatening rain showers, but with a hint of warmth in the air. After some days of downright frosty weather, the south wind was welcome, and with occasional glimpses of the sun, it was a good morning for a hike. Leaves have passed peak color, maples have shed most of their burden, but beech and oaks still hang tight to their coppery or russet leaves. The River’s trail rustles with each footfall, competing with the sibilant hiss and throaty grumbles from the rapids and swiftwater reaches. Naturally I couldn’t resist shooting plenty of photos for the archives, and after a couple hours I was on the return leg of my loop route. As I strolled down the access road leading to the trailhead with the sun in my face, I noticed ladybugs swarming together wherever a patch of sun fell. I’d never given ladybugs a lot of thought before, though I know they are welcomed by gardeners and farmers because they are voracious eaters of aphids, which chew up crops. I stopped to watch the ladybugs and assumed they were grouping together for a mass die-off once the temperature dropped again. I’d been seeing them on the concrete south stoop in the mornings, desiccated and upside down, after all.

I stopped alongside a footer at the footbridge and studied the ladybugs. They are very beautiful insects, and have a variety of patterns and colors on their wind covers. They moved around fairly quickly for such a tiny beetle, motoring along in their quest for… what, exactly? Warmth, probably.

 

 
Here you can see the wing covers splaying apart slightly as this ladybug prepares to take flight:

 
They were determined to climb the footer, and had no trouble clinging to the chipped paint:

 

 
Curled paint and rust didn’t deter them, either:

 

 
Here you can see the hooks on the ends of their legs:

 

 
When I got back home I did a bit of research on ladybugs, and was surprised to learn they overwinter as adults, even in this harsh climate. They gather together in sheltered places on the south sides of trees, rock outcrops, and structures where they enter diapause, a kind of hibernation. Come spring, they’ll become animated again and fly off to lay eggs and eat aphids. Clever critters.

 
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