Early Morning Drama

While Small Game Hunting in our front yard this morning, I came upon these three dramas playing out. A Zebra Longwings butterfly aka Zebra Heliconian demurely enjoying a flower's nectar. This butterfly's species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1767 12th edition of 'Systema Naturae'. And it's Florida's State Butterfly.
A female Brown Anole hunting for tiny insects. I watched her for a while as she snatched up several tiny ants. And in the bottom panel; two Asian Lady Beetles. These beetles are native to Asia. They look very similar to Ladybugs (ladybird beetles) but aren't nearly as sweet natured. They can and will bite and are capable of biting hard enough to feel like a pin prick! Large numbers of them congregate to overwinter in buildings, and they can secrete a strong-smelling yellowish liquid from the joints of their legs. Yuck! They don't transmit disease but large infestations of them can cause allergies in some people. 
Asian Lady Beetles were introduced in the United States back in the early '60s. The U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced them to help control scale insects and aphids, especially in apple and pecan crops.This program continued until the early '90s. They have few if any predators and are considered a nuisance, especially during the months of September thru November. Because of this timing and their bright orange color they're sometimes called the Halloween Beetle. The wine industry is also concerned about the Asian Lady Beetle. Because of their nasty odor, if even a small number of them are processed with the grapes they can taint the flavor of the wine! Reason enough to dislike them intensely IMHO!
There you have it. Much more than you ever needed or wanted to know about the AsiaLadyBeetle!