Orangespotted Ladybird

This is a New Zealand native ladybird. It is black with 16 orange spots, and it’s a little larger (6mm) than the elevenspotted ladybird. I rarely see one, which is a pity since both adults and larvae eat aphids. They are tricky to capture because they run about in all directions at top speed.

My fruit is ripening weeks earlier than usual. Today I ate a plum and a cherry. More to come. And today I picked my first cucumber of the season.