Ladybug Emergence Day

While walking outdoors today, I saw hundreds of bugs flying through the air. At first I thought they might be those tiny gnats that seem to fly towards ears, but my ears were not attacked. I donned my mask lest I end up eating a bug and stood closer to them. It was difficult to fix my eyes on any one of them because of their erratic flying. Finally, I saw a few land on a bush and saw they were ladybugs. It is quite warm today, so I assume this is a big hatching day for them.

They don't actually hatch, though, they emerge as part of a four-stage lifecycle: eggs-->larvae->pupae-->adult

The adults are what I encountered today. They are natural pest control, as they feast on aphids, scale, psylllids and other garden pests.