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Thursday Thirteen XI: The Ladybug Edition

Posted on November 15, 2007 by Mishi | 38 Comments

T H U R S D A Y T H I R T E E N

We have been besieged by ladybugs suddenly.
Upon research, it is their time to come out.
I have compiled 13 facts to better acquaint
ourselves with the sometime pest.
They sure are cute, though.

Ladybug Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Hippodamia

  • The ladybug, commonly called the Asian lady beetle, is a pest as well as a beneficial insect.
  • Ladybugs belong to the beetle family Coccinellidae which means “little sphere”. There are probably as many as 4,000 species found world-wide and over 350 kinds are found in North America. Most common Northeastern species can be identified by the pattern of spots on their elytra (flight wing covers)

  • Ladybugs go through 4 different stages in its life cycle. Those stages are: Egg, (7-21 days) Larva, (7-21 days) Pupa, (7-21 days) and Adult. (3-9 months)

  • They are really only a pest by their presence.

  • Ladybugs do not feed on or damage anything in the home.

  • Ladybugs do not carry diseases or sting, nor can they breed indoors. However, when large numbers of them take up residence in a home, they will crawl all over the walls, windows, light fixtures and any other surfaces.
  • Asian beetles tend to be attracted to lighter colored buildings and especially to those that are illuminated by the sun (typically the south or southwest side). Darker colors or buildings in the shade are less likely to have problems. After spending the winter months tucked away in a wall void or other secluded place, they have simply forgotten how they got in.

  • Once ladybugs have become established in the home, there aren’t a lot of treatment options. There are not a lot of recommended chemical measures at this point. The easiest way to remove ladybugs, once they are indoors, is with a vacuum cleaner.

  • Lady beetles have some interesting means of protection. Their red or orange and black coloration warns birds that they would not make a very tasty meal. Birds learn that insects that are red and black or yellow and black usually sting or taste bad and hence they leave such insects alone.

  • Ladybugs, of course, can’t sting, but they probably do taste bad. They also will “play dead” when in danger. Many predators will not eat an insect that doesn’t move. Also, ladybugs produce a bad smelling odor, perhaps by way of a fluid from joints in the legs, which may help to protect them.

  • The larva of ladybugs is a rather fearsome looking creature. It is somewhat alligator-shaped and covered with bumps and spines. In most species the larva is a fierce predator which you might guess if you look at its sicle-shaped jaws. Despite the small size of the creature, it can produce a distinctly felt nip on one’s finger if handled.

  • You can’t tell a ladybug’s age by it’s spots. The ladybug’s average life span is only one year. Different types of ladybugs have different types of spots but you’d need to look through a microscope to see the difference on some of the varieties.

  • Not all ladybugs are ladies. Whether they are male or female, they are still called ladybugs. Female ladybugs are usually a bit larger than male ladybugs.


Some pics from a recent laybug encounter in the boys’ room:
(click thumbnail to enlarge)

 

ladybug1.jpg ladybug2.jpg lb3.jpg lb4.jpg

 

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 15th, 2007 at 3:29 am and is filed under NaBloPoMo, Thursday Thirteen. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

38 Comments to “Thursday Thirteen XI: The Ladybug Edition”

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