This afternoon I found a ladybug - or ladybird beetle - on the wall of the 13th floor restroom in my office building. I suspect that he/she rode in after lunch on someone's clothes. Leaving it there didn't seem right, so I went back to my office and got a paper cup and an index card. Back in the restroom, the ladybug hadn't moved. I covered it with the cup and slowly slid the card across.
I had a little less than an hour before leaving, so I taped the card on and set the cup on my desk, making sure there was a little air gap. When I left for the day, I thought about releasing the bug in the plantings right outside the door, but then thought the larger park space up the block would be better. I'm glad I did.
When I let the ladybug out on the ledge, it quickly ran over toward a fallen leaf and climbed on top. This action was startling in contrast to the immobility expressed on the restroom wall - the bug clearly was responding to being in its natural environment.
It paused for a few seconds on the leaf - I guess to survey the surroundings. I was expecting it to crawl off onto one of the overhanging plants, but it suddenly unfurled it's wings and flew away, rising up out of sight toward the tree canopy. Whatever fate befalls it, I'm glad it didn't remain stranded on the 13th floor restroom wall.
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