Their different species live all over the planet, without meeting only in the polar zones and Antarctica. Read Animal Good News! Although ladybugs (called Coccinellidae) are most often red or yellow with black dots, nearly every color of the rainbow is found in some species of ladybug, often in contrasting pairs. Ladybugs naturally defend themselves by secreting an odor from the fluid from the joints in their legs. The bold colors and simple shapes have led to use as a logo for a wide range of organisations and companies. The best successes have helped farmers control scale insects and mealybugs. Ladybugs also called ladybirds and lady beetles belong to the family Coccinellidae. But ladybugs aren't really bugs at all. The Mexican bean beetle and the squash beetle are destructive pests that prey upon the crops mentioned in their names. There are over 5,000 species of ladybug and they live in trees, shrubs, fields, and on beaches. Ladybugs are also called lady beetles or, in Europe, ladybird beetles. NASA even sent a few ladybugs into space with aphids to see how aphids would escape in zero gravity. In fact, ladybugs are a large group of small beetles in the Coccinellidae family. Ladybugs are also called lady beetles or, in Europe, ladybird beetles. The number of dots on the back of ladybugs depends on their species. The wings flap 85 times within a minute. When threatened, the bugs will secrete an oily, foul-tasting fluid from joints in their legs. Almost all ladybugs feed on soft-bodied insects and serve as beneficial predators of plant pests. After ladybugs came and wiped out the invading insects, the farmers named them "beetle of Our Lady." The North American ladybug is not endangered yet, but its overall numbers have decreased, and some scientists believe that is the result of harlequin competition. A ladybug’s rear or back wings are its flying wings. The natural habitat for ladybugs is areas of dense vegetation, such as forests, meadows, weed patches and gardens. Ladybugs are an insect. Ladybugs then appeared in the fields, miraculously saving the crops, causing the farmers to call them lady beetles. Forests, gardens, and fields all constitute the natural habitat of ladybugs. On the head of most ladybugs have 11 thin bundles, but sometimes there are 10 of them. Let us know in the comments below. If you're unfamiliar with ladybug larvae, you would probably never guess that these odd creatures are young ladybugs. Ladybug Larvae Resemble Tiny Alligators, 6. A detailed study has shown the creatures travelling at heights in excess of 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) and reaching speeds of 60 kilometers per hour (37 mile per hour). Thank you for the article! They are commonly red, orange, or yellow with small black spots on their wing covers, with black legs, heads and antennae. Mostly, they live in tropical, temperate and subtropical climates. Well if I am then that could be because you have a fear […] This stage is quite short and lasts only for 15 days. Ladybugs can live up to one year. 22 Common Insects Pests That Are Harmful to Trees, B.A., Political Science, Rutgers University. The seven-spotted lady beetle is believed to be the first one named for the Virgin Mary; the red color is said to represent her cloak, and the black spots her seven sorrows. Most ladybugs have oval, dome-shaped bodies with six short legs. Even More Fun Facts: Because Ladybugs eat lots of aphids and other pest insects, many gardeners and farmers use them for pest control instead of chemicals. As well as the usual colourings, some ladybug species are black, white, gray, brown, pink and blue. Ladybugs’ habitation includes all kinds of vegetation that contain their food and eggs. There are about 5,000 different species of ladybugs in the world. Depending on the species, the ladybug can lay up to 2000 eggs in its lifetime. Depending on the type of ladybugs there are different colors: pink, yellow, white, orange, and even black. Also known as ladybirds or lady beetles, the little red bugs are so beloved because they are beneficial predators, cheerfully chomping on garden pests such as aphids. Let us know in the comments below. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. They live all over the world, except in Antarctica and the far northern regions of North America, Europe and Asia. In Germany, these insects go by the name Marienkafer, which means "Mary beetles." Female ladybugs can lay around a thousand eggs at one time. In some countries Ladybugs are considered a symbol of good luck. 20 Ladybug Facts for Kids. The natural habitat for ladybugs is areas of dense vegetation, such as forests, meadows, weed patches and gardens. This eventually was shortened to "lady beetle" and "ladybug." If a ladybug runs out of aphids to eat, they’ll resort to … The most common are red and black or yellow and black, but some are as plain as black and white, others as exotic as dark blue and orange. One ladybug can eat up to 5,000 insects in its lifetime! Small and harmless ladybugs are well known to everyone. The six short little legs of a ladybug help it to walk, but they do more than that. They have hard, shiny elytra (wing cases) that can be black, red, yellow, or orange. A threatened ladybug may both play dead and secrete the unappetizing substance to protect itself. Ladybugs will clean themselves after a meal. Once they're well-fed, they'll begin to build a pupa, and after seven to 10 days they emerge as adults. Ladybugs’ habitation includes all kinds of vegetation that contain their food and eggs. Ladybugs eat aphids, cabbage moths, mites and other tiny insects. Eggs or pupae also provide protein to a ladybug that has run out of aphids. Your email address will not be published. After 2 to 5 days, newly hatched larvae have an immediate feeding source for the 3 weeks they remain in this stage. Ladybugs’ wings are four times of their size. "Ladybug 101." Ladybugs have one pair of hard red and black wings and one pair of all-black wings underneath. Ladybugs love to eat scale insects, whiteflies, mites, and aphids. When they hatch, the ladybug larvae immediately begin to feed. Their distinctive spots and attractive colors are meant to make them unappealing to predators. The name "ladybug" was coined by European farmers who prayed to the Virgin Mary when pests began eating their crops. You may have personally experienced the effects of one of the biological control experiments that had unintended consequences. Ladybugs can travel a distance of 15 miles per hour. Ladybugs are happy in many different habitats, including grasslands, forests, cities, suburbs, and along rivers. Birds are ladybugs' main predators, but they also fall victim to frogs, wasps, spiders, and dragonflies. All rights reserved. Ladybug Facts, Ladybug Guides These cute little Ladybug creatures come in all kinds of cute little colors, there are red and orange, and black ones of course, as well as unusual colors like white, yellow, blue and even purple … well maybe! Ladybugs appear as half-spheres, tiny, spotted, round or oval-shaped domes. Color patterns are connected to their living quarters: generalists that live pretty much anywhere have fairly simple patterns of two strikingly different colors that they wear year round. They eat crop-destroying pests, and are said to bring good luck. Ladybugs can secrete a fluid from joints in their legs which gives them a foul taste. All rights reserved. The insects typically live for about a year. They live all over the world, except in Antarctica and the far northern regions of North America, Europe and Asia. Ladybugs lay their eggs in clusters or rows on the underside of a leaf, usually where aphids have gathered. In England, the other name for ladybugs is ladybirds. So without wasting any time let’s go deep to find ladybug facts for kids. Many cultures consider ladybugs lucky and have nursery rhymes or local names for the insects that reflect this. Though most ladybugs eat insects, a few species eat plants and are considered pests. What is a Ladybug habitat? I think they should be named gentleman-bugs. The Name "Lady" Refers to the Virgin Mary, 3. Ladybug larvae can also ooze alkaloids from their abdomens. Ladybugs come in many colors like pink, yellow, white, orange and black. Not all such experiments work. Facts About Anna Paquin | True Blood Actress. Because of their appetite for plant-eating pests, ladybugs are a beneficial component for any garden and act as a natural pesticide. The end of the pupal stage gives rise to adult ladybugs. Some other negative effects are also associated with harlequins. Why this occurs is still not understood by the scientific community. A Ladybug can lay up to 1000 eggs in its lifetime. Farmers Use Ladybugs to Control Other Insects, 9. Seven-spotted ladybugs are red or orange with three spots on each side and one in the middle. 3) To help defend themselves, ladybugs play dead. There are about 5,000 different species of these insects, and not all of them have the same appetites. Ladybugs have two pairs of wings, but only one pair is used to fly. Facts about Ladybugs 1: the unique color When you picturize ladybugs, you always think about a small animal with red spots and black background. The first attempt—and one of the most successful—was in the late 1880s, when an Australian ladybug (Rodolia cardinalis) was imported into California to control the cottony cushion scale. On the head of most ladybugs have 11 thin bundles, but sometimes there are 10 of them. 4) The color of the ladybug sends off the message to its predators that it may taste bad or be poisonous. Hope you enjoyed reading these ladybug facts for kids. © 2020 Animal Good News. Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. The vast majority of ladybugs are predators, but there are also completely plant-eating species among them. Did you like interesting facts about ladybugs? Designed and Developed by 10FunFacts, Germany Facts-Interesting Facts About Germany, Fun Facts About Denmark-Interesting Facts, Sweden Interesting Facts That Will Make You Fall…, Interesting facts About Egypt-Fun Egypt Facts, Facts About Bulldog Ants-Fantastic Bull Ants, Australia Facts Animals – Famous Australian Animals. Like many other insects, ladybugs use aposematic coloration to signal their toxicity to would-be predators. This fluid is very distasteful to their predators. Their distinctive spots and attractive colors are meant to make them unappealing to predators. The most common are red and black or yellow and black, but some are as plain as black and white, others as exotic as dark blue and orange. Academic Press, 2009. 2) Some ladybugs have no spots and others have up to 20 spots. When times are tough, a ladybug may lay an increased number of infertile eggs to give her babies a better chance of surviving. Interesting facts about monarch butterfly, Interesting facts about Olympic Mountains, Interesting facts about the Mojave Desert, Interesting facts about the Atacama Desert. Would you believe a ladybug can eat 50 aphids in a single day? Facts About The Number 12 | Is 12 your lucky number? What you say. Fade spots means the ladybugs are aged. Male bugs are also named as ladybugs. Ladybug communicate with each other mainly through chemical signals (pheremones). The feet of a ladybug helps it smell. Startle an adult ladybug and a foul-smelling hemolymph will seep from its leg joints, leaving yellow stains on the surface below. The largest washup to date happened in the early 1940s when an estimated 4.5 billion individuals were spread over 21 kilometers of shoreline in Libya. Ladybugs aren’t true bugs – they’re beetles, as evidenced by their hard shells that hide a set of delicate wings.