Lady Bug Larvae

Not my photo, I ripped it from the interwebs.  Whatever!

My Dad was over the other day for a meeting and to do some work in my garage.  We were BS'ing as he was leaving and mindlessly picking and pulling at a large, overgrown Lantana shrub in my front yard.  One of us noticed this strange insect that looked like a mix between crocodile and a tick - it's hard to explain.  Anyway, we both get our knives out and start gently probing to see what it is, trying to get them to move, fly, whatever.  Frustrated, the intensity of the inspection escalated and quickly turned destructive as we realized their heads would stay attached to the plant if you push the body hard enough.  hehehe...  He drove away, the bug remained a mystery.

While researching the various insect pest problems I'm having I came across a photo of the very insect we were molesting just days ago and hotdamn! - it's a ladybug!  Of course there will be no more senseless killing, but rather nurturing and care.  I plan to remove several of the branches and relocate to my vegetable garden area with the highest aphid population, I'm  hoping I can get a ladybug colony established.

I wonder if these larvae are the love-product of the frisky two I spotted awhile ago?  Actually, they were gettin' busy on my broccoli (good location, I have aphids here) so why would she fly her self East 30 yards to deposit eggs on my Lantana? Crazy ladybug...