Part of the horde of spiky larvae that we found ALL OVER the big bittergourd vines. I think there were close to 40 of them – give or take.

When I first saw spiky ladybug larvae, I was so taken up by the newness of them. After all, it was the first time I’d ever seen a ladybug larva with those fine, spiky appendages.

However, I’ve since learned that this is not a ladybug welcomed by gardeners as it eats plants as opposed to pests that harm plants. Here I thought that all ladybugs were considered beneficial insects!

[Read about the 28-spotted ladybug here]

These spiky larvae recently spawned on our large bittergourd plants and decimated the plants. Henceforth, their spiky novelty has worn off and they are no longer welcome here. I did a Mother Weed and killed as many of them as I could find after capturing their misdeeds on camera. I did not enjoy doing that but I was hoping to salvage the plants. The main stems are still green and I hope they will be able to grow new leaves. As it is, there is only one short stretch of vine with a few leaves on it. We salvaged some seeds from the last not-quite-mature fruits, but I’m not sure if they were ready just yet. Time will tell.

While the decimated leaves may look all pretty and lacy, they don’t have the capacity to photosynthesise any more. What a blow to the plants! :(

I still have not identified the adult 28-spotted potato ladybug, as it’s apparently known, but the larvae are easily spotted and will not be tolerated here any more. You should watch out for them in your gardens, too.

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