Q. I notice fewer Asian lady beetles during the warmer months. Is it typical for a population of exotic insects to explode and then decline?
A. It often is, says Phil Pellitteri, distinguished faculty associate in the entomology department at UW-Madison. “The Asian lady beetle fell off the face of the Earth this year, and we have been seeing a decline for four or five years,” Pellitteri said. “I?ve gone to places where I used to see a tremendous number, and they are few and far between.”