Here are 9 cool facts about ladybugs.
1. Ladybirds aren't
really bugs at all, they're beetles!
2. The
"lady" in ladybird refers to the Virgin Mary.
Legend has it that crops in Europe during the Middle Ages were plagued by pests, so the farmers began praying to the Blessed Lady, the Virgin Mary. Soon, the farmers started seeing ladybugs in their fields, and the crops were miraculously saved from the pests. They associated their good fortune with the black and red beetles, and so began calling them lady beetles.
Legend has it that crops in Europe during the Middle Ages were plagued by pests, so the farmers began praying to the Blessed Lady, the Virgin Mary. Soon, the farmers started seeing ladybugs in their fields, and the crops were miraculously saved from the pests. They associated their good fortune with the black and red beetles, and so began calling them lady beetles.
3. Ladybirds bleed
from their knees when threatened.
Startle a ladybird and foul-smelling fluid will seep from its leg joints, leaving yellow stains on the surface below.
Startle a ladybird and foul-smelling fluid will seep from its leg joints, leaving yellow stains on the surface below.
4. A ladybird's
bright colors warn predators to stay away.
Like many other insects, ladybirds use bright colours to signal their toxicity to would-be predators. Insect-eating birds and other animals learn to avoid meals that come in red and black, and are more likely to steer clear of a ladybird lunch.
Like many other insects, ladybirds use bright colours to signal their toxicity to would-be predators. Insect-eating birds and other animals learn to avoid meals that come in red and black, and are more likely to steer clear of a ladybird lunch.
5. Over its
lifetime, a ladybird may consume as many as 5,000 aphids.Almost all ladybirds feed on soft-bodied insects, and serve as beneficial predators of plant pests. Gardeners welcome ladybirds with open arms, knowing they will munch on the most prolific plant pests. Ladybirds love to eat scale insects, white flies, mites, and aphids. As larvae, ladybirds eat pests by the hundreds. A hungry ladybird adult can devour 50 aphids per day!
6. Ladybird larvae
resemble tiny alligators, with elongated bodies and bumpy skin.
If you're unfamiliar with ladybird larvae, you would probably never guess that these odd creatures are young ladybirds. Like alligators in miniature, they have long, pointed abdomens, spiny bodies, and legs that protrude from their sides. The larvae feed and grow for about a month, and consume hundreds of aphids or other insects during this stage.
If you're unfamiliar with ladybird larvae, you would probably never guess that these odd creatures are young ladybirds. Like alligators in miniature, they have long, pointed abdomens, spiny bodies, and legs that protrude from their sides. The larvae feed and grow for about a month, and consume hundreds of aphids or other insects during this stage.
7. Ladybird adults
hibernate
As days get shorter and temperatures fall, ladybirds seek shelter behind bark, under leaves, or in other protected locations. Thousands of ladybirds may gather in the same location, taking advantage of the collective warmth of a colony.
As days get shorter and temperatures fall, ladybirds seek shelter behind bark, under leaves, or in other protected locations. Thousands of ladybirds may gather in the same location, taking advantage of the collective warmth of a colony.
8. Ladybirds
practice cannibalism.If food is scarce, ladybirds will do what they must to survive, even if it means eating each other! A hungry ladybird will make a meal of any soft-bodied sibling it encounters. Newly emerged adults or recently molted larvae are soft enough for the average ladybird to chew. Eggs or pupae also provide protein to a ladybird that has run out of aphids.
9. You can't tell a
ladybird's age by counting its spots.
The spots on a ladybird's back have nothing whatsoever to do with its age, fun as it may be to count them. In some cases, though, you can determine the ladybird's species by taking note of the number and position of those markings. The seven-spotted lady beetle, for example, has seven black spots on its red back.
The spots on a ladybird's back have nothing whatsoever to do with its age, fun as it may be to count them. In some cases, though, you can determine the ladybird's species by taking note of the number and position of those markings. The seven-spotted lady beetle, for example, has seven black spots on its red back.
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