Did you know ladybugs keep plants healthy by eating over 5,000 aphids in a lifetime? This article will deeply dive into this colorful little creature’s life.
Facts About Ladybugs
Ladybugs are insect species from the Coccinellidae family. Around 5,000 species of ladybugs live all over North America, Europe, and Asia. Ladybugs have an average lifespan of 2 to 3 years, which is quite remarkable for this little insect.
Like many other brightly colored insects, they are protected by a fragrant, poisonous liquid that oozes from their joints when the insects are disturbed. In addition, the bright body color helps some predators remember the encounter and avoid attacking insects with similar markings.
Ladybugs are often considered beneficial insects and one of the farmers’ and gardeners’ greatest allies, as many species feed on aphids or insects that harm gardens, farmlands, and orchards. They are nature’s ‘pest’ controllers and are way better for the environment than toxic chemicals.
The Transformation Into a Ladybug
The four stages of a ladybug’s life are the following:
Ladybug Egg
Female ladybugs lay their eggs in clusters, mainly on the leaves and branches of plants infested by aphids. A female ladybug can lay up to 1000 eggs during the summer, which usually hatch within five days.
Ladybug Larvae
After ladybugs hatch, they emerge as larvae. The ladybug larva has a similar elongated body shape and has three pairs of prominent legs. Their colors are primarily red and dark gray, some with yellow or orange markings. Although the larva may look dangerous, ladybug larvae are pretty harmless to humans.
Ladybug Pupa
The pupa stage is the last stage of transforming into a ladybug (metamorphosis). At this stage, the ladybugs’ colors are usually yellow or orange. During this period, the pupa remains motionless on the leaf.
Larvae cannot enter the pupal stage until they reach a specific size. Therefore, it takes everything from four days to three weeks before a ladybug pupa becomes an adult.
Adult Ladybug
Most ladybug adults live in sheltered areas, usually in large groups. In the spring, adults emerge and start mating and then laying eggs. Predatory species lay eggs on plants infested with aphids or other insects, which feed on fungi on mold-infested plants.
Different ladybug species come in different colors. But the most common one in North America and Europe is the classic red seven-spotted ladybug.
Adult Ladybugs have two sets of wings. Only one pair is used to fly. The other pair protects the flight wings and is very strong, designed to protect their hind wings.
The ladybug can fly and stay in the air for almost 2 hours. Amazingly, they can reach nearly a thousand meters up in the air on their long travels.
Diet: What do Ladybugs Eat?
Ladybugs feed on aphids, insect eggs, larvae, caterpillars, pollen, and plant nectar. In addition, they feed on insects such as aphids.
Ladybugs are natural enemies of many insects, especially aphids and other sap-feeding species. One ladybug alone can eat 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.
What to Feed a Ladybug?
We have some tips for you if you find a ladybug in early spring after hibernation and want to help out a little.
Ladybugs like to eat food such as lettuce, honey, and raisins. You can give it water if you also believe it might be thirsty after the long winter hibernation. Easy enough, you can fill a bottlecap with water and leave it outside for a while. But of course, the best diet for them is the one they find in nature themself.
How Do Ladybugs Hibernate, and for How Long?
In autumn, ladybugs start looking for suitable winter quarters for hibernating. Typically, insects overwinter in dry piles of leaves, between the niches of a rock pile, in tufts of grass, between dead wood, or under moss cover.
If you want to offer the animals a retreat in your garden, you can leave a mulch layer of leaves in the perennial beds. The ladybug usually hibernates there until the end of March.
In search of warmth and a dry place, insects can get lost in houses or apartments. In this case, however, they can easily be relocated to a sheltered spot in the garden.
As soon as the temperatures drop, the ladyfly stays in its winter quarters until next spring and freezes. Then, between March and April, the ladybug leaves their winter quarters again when the temperatures rise.
FAQ
What Does a Ladybug Symbolize and Mean?
A ladybug has different meanings depending on where you live. Generally, ladybugs are believed to bring good luck and fortune if it lands on you.
How Many Legs Does a Ladybug Have?
Ladybugs have six short legs in total. They use their legs to scout around for aphids on plants and have an excellent grip. They can also use their wings when it is time to switch plants.
What is Special About a Ladybug?
Ladybugs are beneficial insects for your garden. However, their primary diet is feeding on aphids or insects harmful to gardens, farmlands, and orchards.
How Many Spots Does a Ladybug Have?
Ladybugs have two to seven dots on them. However, they can both have spots or stripes. Contrary to popular belief, ladybugs do not come into the world with spots.
Do Ladybugs Bite?
They can bite humans, but it is not dangerous, nor will they attack. It may only cause skin itching.
How Many Hours Does a Ladybug Mate?
The ladybug’s stamina is incredible. They can mate for up to 4 to 5 hours.
Do Ladybugs Sleep?
Yes, ladybugs sleep at night by lying flat down and their legs close to their body.
How Do You Tell the Differences Between Male and Female Ladybugs?
You can tell the difference between male and female ladybugs by looking at their size. The female ladybug is usually a bit bigger than the male. The easiest way to spot the difference is when they are mating. The male will be dominant on top of the female.
