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. Full site surveys intentionally focus your efforts on a specific location or set of locations. You will visit survey sites from spring through autumn and follow the protocols described in the easy to use manual to document lady beetles. With your help, this atlas is projected to take us 5 years to completely survey the state.

The manual has step-by-step instructions for participation in the Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas. Before beginning any work, you should read this manual carefully. It will guide you on:

Download the Manual for Participants (PDF) and get ready to help us discover lady beetle life!