- They can have as many as 16 spots, but some ladybugs have no spots at all.
- While most ladybugs are good, there is one nonnative species that people don’t like. The Asian lady beetle was introduced in California in 1916. Today it’s more common in the East.
- A ladybug can eat up to 50 aphids a day.
- One of the most common ladybugs is the seven-spotted lady beetle. It has seven black spots on its back.
- Females will lay up to 1,000 eggs within a few months, generally from spring to early summer.
- You might hear ladybugs go by a few different names, including: Ladybirds, Ladybugs, Lady beetles and Lady cows.
- Ladybugs usually protect themselves from predators in one of two ways: They either play dead or secrete a fluid from their legs to make themselves taste bad.
- One common belief about ladybugs is that you can tell their age by their number of spots, but this is a myth.
- You can find out about 6,000 different species of ladybugs around the world. There are about 500 species in the United States alone.
- Ladybugs are great garden predators. Here are six “bad bugs” they’ll eat:
Is there a difference between lady beetles and ladybugs?
Although these insects are commonly called “ladybugs,” they are members of the beetle order,
Coleoptera. The Coleoptera are unique from other orders in that they undergo complete
metamorphosis (that is, have larva and pupa stages in their life cycle), and their forewings have
modified into a hardened cover (elytra) that protects the insect. “True” bugs belong to the
order Hemiptera, and include boxelder bugs, plant bugs, and squash bugs.
Immature True Bug
Though taxonomically incorrect, lady beetles are still commonly
referred to as ladybugs. Other frequently used common names are
ladybirds or ladybird beetles.
What do ladybugs eat?
Both adult and larval ladybugs are known primarily as predators of aphids but they also prey on
many other soft‐bodied insects and insect eggs. Many of these are agricultural pest such as
scale insects, mealybugs, spider mites and eggs of the Colorado Potato Beetle and European
Corn Borer. A few ladybugs feed on plant and pollen mildews and many ladybugs supplement
their meat diet with pollen.
What eats ladybugs?
Ladybugs are not commonly eaten by birds or other vertebrates, who avoid them because they
exude a distasteful fluid and commonly play dead to avoid being preyed upon. However,
several insects, such as assassin bugs and stink bugs, as well as spiders and toads may
commonly kill lady beetles.
How many different species are there in the US? In the world?
There have been over 500 species of ladybugs identified in the United States, and over 4500 in
the entire world.
How long do they live?
After a female lays her eggs, they will hatch in between three and ten days, depending on
ambient temperature. The larva will live and grow for about a month before it enters the pupal
stage, which lasts about 15 days. After the pupal stage, the adult ladybug will live up to one
year.
Why are they so brightly colored?
Ladybugs bright colors serve as a warning – they indicate any potential predators of the
distasteful repellents the beetle will release if attacked. Ladybug spots are part of the bright
warning pattern discussed in the previous question.
What’s with them in my house during winter?
During the winter months, ladybugs seek out a warm place to hibernate. Many seek out cracks
around buildings, including people’s homes. They mass together to stay warm throughout the
winter. Don’t worry, they will not harm you or any part of your home, and they will be gone by
spring.
How did non‐native species get here?
Non‐native ladybug species may have been introduced to the United States by scientists as an
attempt to control crop‐damaging aphids, or they could have hitched a ride with any vegetation
that was brought over from Europe, Africa, or Asia.
Why are they so brightly colored?
Ladybugs bright colors serve as a warning – they indicate any potential predators of the
distasteful repellents the beetle will release if attacked. Ladybug spots are part of the bright
warning pattern discussed in the previous question.
What’s with them in my house during winter?
During the winter months, ladybugs seek out a warm place to hibernate. Many seek out cracks
around buildings, including people’s homes. They mass together to stay warm throughout the
winter. Don’t worry, they will not harm you or any part of your home, and they will be gone by
spring.
How did non‐native species get here?
Non‐native ladybug species may have been introduced to the United States by scientists as an
attempt to control crop‐damaging aphids, or they could have hitched a ride with any vegetation
that was brought over from Europe, Africa, or Asia.
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