It was suggested I share this pic in this sub. 🐞
According to INaturalist, this ladybug has Hesperomyces on its back.
Hesperomyces is a genus of fungi in the family Laboulbeniaceae. The genus contain five species, including the type-species Hesperomyces virescens. H. virescens is a parasite of the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis.
I haven't seen any butterflies yet but there are aphids, ants, lady beetles, and more all over the flowers.
Zone 7B - NYC area
I saw this Eastern Tailed Blue flying in and out of the ninebark this evening. I hadn't seen this type before so I looked it up and TIL:
​
Appearance: Eastern Tailed-Blue caterpillars are short, stout, and slug-like in shape. Their color varies greatly—ranging from bright green to pale yellow or reddish—and they are often camouflaged to match the specific flower buds they are eating. Their bodies are covered in fine white hairs with a dark stripe running down the back.
​
Ant Bodyguards: The larvae possess a specialized "honey gland" that secretes a sweet, sugary fluid. This fluid attracts ants, which drink the liquid and in return aggressively protect the caterpillars from predatory insects.
​
Overwintering: Late-season caterpillars burrow directly into seedpods to feed on seeds, where they eventually hibernate through the winter before pupating and emerging as butterflies in the spring.
​
Caterpillar Diet: The larvae are specialists that strictly eat plants in the legume/pea family (Fabaceae). They preferentially consume the flower buds, young flowers, and developing seedpods rather than the leaves.
​
Common host plants include:White and Red Clover (Trifolium), Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Cow Vetch (Vicia), Wild Peas, Bush Clovers (Lespedeza), and Wild Beans
​
Adult Butterfly Diet: Because adult Eastern Tailed-Blues have a very short proboscis (tongue) and a low, fluttering flight pattern, they feed on nectar from low-growing, open flowers near the ground. They favor Wild Strawberry, Asters, Cinquefoils, and Winter Cress. They are also frequently seen gathering around mud puddles to extract vital amino acids and minerals from the moist soil.
I had promised my daughter a goth garden so when I saw these petunias I had to grab them. The planter with the black petunias also has dark heucheras and some dusty miller for contrast.