new york times, nov, 24,2011-it is not just any bug, but the native nine-spotted ladybug. and its reappearance is something of a relief, because it is the official new york state insect, even though the last recorded sighting of it in new york was 29 years ago. its absence had not gone completely unnoticed. there was a moment in 2006 when the state assembly, realizing that the state insect had left the state, tried to replace it with a different species of ladybug, an attempt that fortunately gave in to law. and now—after all these years—the state insect has been found. like so many other new yorkers, it was seen summering in amagansett. peter priolo, a volunteer participant in an effort called the lost ladybug project, found the ladybug on july 30 in a patch of sunflowers during a group search he had organized. “i didn’t realize it was a nine-spotted when i found it,” mr. priolo said. he was on his way to do an end-of-the-day ladybug record, so, he said, “i put it in my jar and hurried back to meet with everybody.” if the ladybugs are making a comeback, it is only beginning. the lost ladybug project started surveys in 2000. as of 2006, only five nene-spotted ladybugs had been found in north america in the previous 10 years, none of them in the east. then one lone ladybug was found in arlington, va. none had been found in the east since, and only 90 have been reported in north america. after scientists at cornell confirmed mr. priolo’s find, they went to the amagansett farm in mid-august to lead a search that turned up about 20 more of the b