Ladybugs vs.
Asian Lady Beetle
by Minn Stoeffler
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It’s the time of year when the Ladybugs are making their way into sheltered outdoor locations to overwinter, and the Asian Lady Beetles are working their way into your homes for protection from the cold and snow. Although we are all familiar with the obvious differences in diet,behavior, appearance, and mating habits of the Ladybug and Asian Lady Beetle, very few of us are
aware of the many similarities they share. To learn more about the parallels between the Ladybug and the Asian Lady Beetle, I sat down with Dr. Orville Lester, a faculty member in the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin – Platteville.
Minn Stoeffler: Good morning, Dr. Lester. Thank you for taking some time to speak with me.
Dr. Orville Lester: It’s my pleasure.
MS: Before we get started, I have a quick question for you. You probably get asked about this a lot, but as I was driving onto campus, I saw this huge white “M” painted on the side of a hill. What’s the deal with that?
Dr. Lester: The “M” stands for “Miners,” and it was put there in the mid-1930s by students in the University’s School of Mines. It’s actually made out of whitewashed crushed limestone. They copied, or stole, the idea from the Colorado School of Mines, except they made their M bigger than the one in Colorado. It’s about 250 feet tall, if I remember correctly.
MS: That “M” is whitewashed stones? From a distance it looks like it’s painted in the grass.
Dr. Lester: Yes, it’s stones. If it was painted grass, it would have to be repainted about ten times a year. The whitewashed stone is a lower maintenance option.
MS: It doesn’t seem like that “M” is 250 feet tall. Have you ever seen the “WD” painted in the grass in West Dubuque on Highway 20? Those letters are 15 feet tall, tops.
Dr. Lester: Yes, I have seen the “WD” in West Dubuque. I haven’t inspected it up close, but I suspect it’s not painted grass. And it may be 15 feet tall, but it’s only a few hundred yards from Highway 20. If you saw the “M” as you were driving into Platteville on Highway 151, it’s almost two miles away.
MS: Well, I’ve seen the “WD” and the “M,” and they look to be roughly the same size, and roughly the same distance off the highway.
Dr. Lester: Then I encourage you to visit the “M” on your way out of town and get back to me on that. MS: Sorry, I won’t have time for that today. Maybe we could do it some other time.
Dr. Lester: I wasn’t offering to go with you. I encourage you to visit it on your own.
MS: Have you ever seen it up close?
Dr. Lester: Yes, dozens of times.
MS: Have you ever seen the “WD” up close?
Dr. Lester: Unfortunately, no I haven’t.
MS: Then I encourage you to visit that the next time you’re in West Dubuque.
Dr. Lester: Thank you for stopping by, Joel. I have to prep for a class that’s starting in a few minutes, so you’ll have to be going now.
