red on red

the flower is a Chrysanthemum X morifolium
the insect is a Coccinella novemnotata, Nine Spotted Lady Beetle (thanks Fizzie !)
The nine-spotted ladybug can be identified by the presence of four black spots on each of its elytra, a single spot split between the elytra, and a black suture between the elytra. Its pronotum is black, with two connected white marks at the front.
A curiosity: The nine-spotted ladybug has been the state insect of New York since 1989, though its numbers have declined as the numbers of introduced species such as the seven-spotted ladybug and Asian lady beetle have increased. It was for some time thought extinct in New York, so in 2006, the state considered designating the pink spotted ladybug as state insect instead, but the bill did not pass the Senate. In 2006 the nine-spotted ladybug was rediscovered in Virginia (the first East Coast sighting in 14 years). In 2011, about 20 of these ladybugs were found on a farm in Amagansett, NY, the first such sighting in New York since 1982.

(originally posted in 2013)
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