No idea what the fluffy stuff is - the ladybird seemed quite attached to it.[edit: turns out that fluffy stuff is the pupa of a parasitic wasp, which is using this ladybird as a host - yuck!]This was taken with the Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro - another kind loan from my father which I should really make more use of. The original of this is 44252976 and sharp..
2007-03-16 Lower Austria, Schwechat (Mannswrth Park, 160 m AMSL).Taking flight: by folk belief you could influence weather if you're saying the magical formula just when seven-spot ladybird takes flight; the formula goes: "Marienkfer fliag noch Mariabrunn, und bring uns heit und moagn a recht a schene Sunn" - meaning: "ladybird, may you fly to Mariabrunn [a Saint Mary pilgrimage site], and may you bring us bright sunshiny weather tomorrow and today".German name: Siebenpunkt-Marienkfer