Until recently, New York
Great news, people! A colony of nine-spotted ladybugs has been discovered in Amagansett , New York
This uplifting story is a rich organic mixture of state pride and nature's resilience, along with America
Let's start with the bug. This ladybug is the classic Coccinellidae beetle, with exactly nine black spots on its red back.
A benevolent and delightful creature, it's beloved by everyone from children to farmers — so beloved that it became New York State
Sadly (and somewhat embarrassingly), however, this critter had vanished entirely from the state that honored it, with the last recorded sighting inNew York
Apparently a victim of competition from imported Asian and European ladybug species, as well as pesticides and habitat loss, only 90 of the native nine-spotteds have been seen in all ofNorth America in the past decade.
Sadly (and somewhat embarrassingly), however, this critter had vanished entirely from the state that honored it, with the last recorded sighting in
Apparently a victim of competition from imported Asian and European ladybug species, as well as pesticides and habitat loss, only 90 of the native nine-spotteds have been seen in all of
But since 2000, a team of diligent Cornell University New York
Then, this summer, lo and behold, a volunteer spotted one sitting pretty as you please in a patch of sunflowers on an organic farm in Amagansett. About 20 more were subsequently found on the farm amidst rows of carrots, beans, and flowers — enough for the project to establish a reproducing colony, while also building confidence that more will be discovered.
Jim Hightower is a radio commentator, writer, and public speaker. He's also editor of the populist newsletter,The Hightower Lowdown.
Distributed via OtherWords (OtherWords.org)
Distributed via OtherWords (OtherWords.org)
