Every winter, ladybirds break their solitude and assemble for a once-in-a-lifetime love-fest
The Hippodamia convergens (the convergent ladybug, or ladybird) beetle spends most of its life alone, feasting on aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects. But each year as the cold weather sets in, they migrate to hibernation hiding places – generally the same cozy spots. Their journey is made all the more impressive by the fact that the insects, which live only up to a year, have never been to the meet-up points before. Scientists believe that they find their way using pheromone trails left by previous generations. And, as this short video from the science documentary series Deep Look shows, when they assemble en masse to enter a state of diapause and eventually mate in the spring, it’s a natural wonder worth beholding. You can read more about this insect’s lifecycle at KQED Science.
Video by KQED Science and PBS Digital Studios
Producer: Elliott Kennerson
Cinematographer: Josh Cassidy
Narrator and Writer: Amy Standen

videoBiology
Dive deep into an egg cell to see how ageing reboots when a new life begins
2 minutes

videoMathematics
After centuries of trying, we’ve yet to arrive at a perfect way to map colour
20 minutes

videoLove and friendship
What does it mean to say goodbye to a creature that doesn’t know you’re leaving?
13 minutes

videoFamily life
A mother and child bond in an unusual prison visitation space in this poignant portrait
11 minutes

videoHuman rights and justice
Surreal, dazzling visuals form an Iranian expat’s tribute to defiance back home
10 minutes

videoAnimals and humans
One man’s quest to save an orphaned squirrel, as narrated by David Attenborough
14 minutes

videoBiology
Butterflies become unrecognisable landscapes when viewed under electron microscopes
4 minutes

videoLove and friendship
Never marry a man you love too much, and other views on romance in Sierra Leone
5 minutes

videoHistory of technology
Curious singles and tech sceptics – what ‘computer dating’ looked like in 1966
6 minutes