These scientists are buggin’ out.
Stunned researchers have discovered a rare ladybug — once thought extinct in New York state — happily buzzing around a manicured Hamptons farm.
Prior to its East End resurgence, the nine-spotted ladybug had not been seen on the East Coast since 1982, according to Cornell professor and ladybug lover John Losey.
“Everyone is really excited about this,” he said yesterday.
“To find a ladybug that we really thought was completely gone from New York in such numbers is just wonderful.”
Losey said a group of recreational ladybug watchers struck entomological gold in July when they identified a nine-spotter nestled in a sunflower on an Amagansett organic farm.
The professor quickly descended on the area with an army of ladybug lookouts and located more than 20 other nine-spotters in a single day.
“We were just so happy to see them after so long,” he said. “It was incredible.”
Considering that the nine-spotted ladybug normally opts for dry climates in places like Colorado and North Dakota, Losey said he was surprised they had taken up residence in the posh oceanfront community.
And the insects serendipitously settled on a piece of government-protected land — safe from development and chemicals.
“If you were to design the perfect place for these insects to be safe and to thrive, it would be here,” Losey explained.
“It’s perfect.”
The leading theory behind the bugs’ disappearance is that they were displaced by the seven-spotted ladybug, introduced from Europe and released as natural pest control to eat aphids off crops.