First Insects of the year

I found an insect in the basement of our house, which research proved was an Asian Lady Beetle.  Sources from Kansas State University indicate that this species is not something we want to have around.  Asian lady beetles are related to the U.S. beetles known as ladybugs, which the Asian beetles are competing with and sometimes displacing.  These beetles are native to Siberia, China and Japan, and are considered to be invaders.  They somehow made their way from Asia, showing up in Kansas by the late 1990's. They are proving to be aggressive predators across the United States.  If they gain access to your house, these beetles can become bothersome during winter.  Lucky that I only found one.  They can bite pretty hard, and when disturbed, the beetles also emit a yellow-orange fluid that smells foul, which is a defense they evolved to protect themselves against birds.

When the temperature soared to 60 degrees last Sunday, I noticed a small swarm of insects in our front yard.  It turned out to be a species of winter crane fly.  This insect is usually seen in late fall and early spring, but are occasionally encountered on warm, sunny winter days.  Larvae are primarily scavengers and feed on decaying material.  They are about 1/4 inch in length.  There are 28 species of Trichocera in the U.S. and Canada.

Lastly, I had a small Virginia Opossum wander into my yard, looking for food under my bird feeders.