We’ve only seen one of these beetles for the first time this year and had no idea that they congregated like this. We’re more familiar with this behavior from the Convergent Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens), a common species of lady beetle that spends the winter in hibernation in groups of thousands of individuals and then emerges to mate and start the next generation in late winter / early spring. Regardless, what a cool sight to happen upon! Like other lady beetles in this genus, Casey’s feed on aphids. They range from northern California to Colorado to British Columbia.    

Size: Length 4.80 to 6.70 mm, width 2.80 to 4.30 mm

Photo by: Sarah Bates during last weekend in the Proposed Great Burn Wilderness, MT