Every lady beetle counts — from the common to the rare. Even if you lack experience with these insects, you can contribute to the Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas. Whether you help with full surveys or just find a few beetles while doing other outdoor activities, It's easy to report your sightings to the Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas on iNaturalist.
Incidental Encounters
This option allows you to document lady beetles wherever and whenever you find them. Rather than visiting a specific site with your insect net in hand, the atlas allows you report lady beetle presence on an incidental basis – in your backyard garden, during a visit to a state park, for example, or even while walking your dog. You just need to snap an image with your smart phone or other camera for these spontaneous encounters with beetles and add your sighting to the Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas on iNaturalist.
Full Site Surveys
This is the most active way to participate in the Atlas. We hope many of you will do at least some of these. Using this survey method, you will intentionally focus your efforts on a specific location or set of locations.