Curious...

.. This is a backblip, owing to a plethora of circumstances, some sad, some challenging, some exciting... (Life).

The image was intriguing to me because of the state of the wings of the ladybird. (I think it's a harlequin anyway, more of that another time/tomorrow)... I had spotted this little creature yesterday (I'm backblipping, keep up at the back!), but I felt that the hatching of a ladybird made a better blip than this curiosity.

Anyway, it was still around the next day, so I observed it in more detail. There seems to be a tumour-type growth on the left side elytra. Having witnessed the effects of a parasitic wasp on a ladybird before (The Saga of Ladybird Gate a while ago) I wondered whether that is what's going on here? Those wings are just not going in!

(Talking about ladybird wings, some scientists have, apparently, studied how they work, which had been an enigma, and actually replaced one with microsurgery, which the ladybird could efficiently fold in and out, and easily fly... Wow! But I digress).

The ladybird continues to eat and excrete (witnessed, tick. I know, I should get out more) so it seems it's just a little Tiny Tim?
I'm trying not to bond :-/