Larva of the transverse ladybird

On a slender blade of grass, something caught my attention. It was sitting there, motionless, not moving or eating. It looked like it was fast asleep. At first, I thought it was a caterpillar. But after a closer look, I realized it wasn't a caterpillar or a butterfly larva. While photographing it, I immediately guessed it was a ladybug larva.

My suspicions were correct. When I posted this observation on inaturalist, I discovered that this larva belonged to the transverse ladybird, or Coccinella transversalis in Latin. The larva's coloration was striking, its base color was black with hints of orange. The combination of colors perfectly matched and contrasted with its surroundings, the fresh green grass.

Not only did its coloration capture my attention, but its body structure was even more striking. Its body was neatly segmented, sharp, and compact. One thing surprised me while photographing this larva. I tried to zoom in to the maximum, and I was shocked by the larva's body. It resembled a crocodile. Fortunately, its body was small. I can't imagine if the larvae were that big.