There is hardly a person who has never seen ladybugs. Many of us caught these harmless insects as children. After reading this article, you will learn what the ladybug eats and how it reproduces.
Variety of species
To date, more than four thousand varieties of these insects are known to science. They live in almost all corners of our planet. Many of them have a spherical body, covered with orange, yellow or red elytra, decorated with stripes or dots. Contrary to a very popular belief, the number of the latter does not at all indicate the age of the bug. Those who want to understand how a ladybug reproduces will also be interested to know that the color of insects does not depend on the number of years lived - it is predetermined at the genetic level and remains unchanged throughout the short life of the beetle. By the way, the size of the insect is also not an indicator of age. The value does not indicate that the ladybug is older, it means that the larva was starving and did not develop properly.
Despite the huge variety existing species, in our country, only one of them is most common - this is a seven-spot ladybird, which can be recognized by its red elytra. Each of them has three black spots, and one common one is located on the shield (pronotum).
Structural features
The sizes of these insects vary from four to ten millimeters. They have an elongated oval or round body with a strongly convex back. For those who do not know how the ladybug reproduces, it will be interesting that the surface of some species of these insects is covered with fine hairs.
The body of the bugs consists of a small head, pronotum, thorax, abdomen, and wings with elytra. In addition, each individual has three pairs of legs. They use cantharidin as a defense against predators. This poisonous, foul-smelling yellow liquid repels insects from birds and other potential enemies.
Depending on the type of insect, its elytra can be brown, dark blue, black, bright yellow or rich red. Some of them have spots different shade and configuration. Others have no patterns at all. And the seven-spotted cow is named so because it has seven spots on the back.
Where and how do they live
Ladybugs live in almost all climatic zones, with the exception of regions that are covered with eternal snows. They can be seen in Poland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland, Great Britain and many other countries. Some insects settle on field grasses, others on sedge and reeds, and others settle on plants on which aphid colonies develop.
All ladybugs lead a solitary lifestyle. They come together only during wintering or during the mating season. Representatives of some species go to winter in countries with a more favorable climate, while others remain to wait out the cold, huddled in numerous groups consisting of several million individuals. They hide from the cold under the bark and between the roots of trees. The average lifespan of these insects is only one year. With a shortage of food, this time is reduced to several months.
What do ladybugs eat?
Representatives of almost all species are considered predators. The basis of their diet is mites and aphids. They do not disdain the pupae of other insects, butterfly eggs and small caterpillars.
However, in nature there are also species that feed exclusively on plants. These insects consume flowers, leaves, pollen, and even mushroom mycelium. Those who are interested in what it eats will be useful to know that the basis of its diet is aphids. So, one individual per day can destroy up to 600 pests.
Reproduction of offspring
Discussing the topic “When and how the ladybug breeds”, it is worth noting that this process has been happening since the beginning of March, and one mating of insects sometimes lasts up to 9 hours in a row. The female can lay from five to three hundred yellow eggs, which have an elongated shape. For masonry, she chooses places with a large accumulation of aphids, since the number of offspring depends on this.
A week later, larvae with well-developed jaws hatch from the eggs. They are very voracious and eat a huge amount of aphids. The larvae themselves have a disgusting taste, so almost no one hunts them. After another ten to fifteen days, a pupa appears from the larva ladybug, which is attached to the leaves of plants with the help of the remnants of the exoskeleton. After another two weeks, during which the laying of all the characteristic parts of the body takes place, it turns into a fully formed adult.
A young insect can be recognized by its pale coloration and lack of pattern. Over time, the back of a ladybug acquires saturated shade, and the corresponding pattern appears on it. In general, duration full cycle development and transformation is from four to seven weeks.
We are used to the fact that a ladybug is necessarily a small red bug. The Latin name of this insect "coccineus" directly indicates scarlet color. All ladybugs are divided into two groups. On predators and phytophages.
Predators and Vegetarians
Predatory cows predominate on our territory, and only three species can be classified as herbivores. Phytophages prefer alfalfa and sugar beets. In many cultures, the ladybug is an object of reverence and its killing is forbidden. Adults and larvae are very voracious and are able to destroy aphids, psyllids, scale insects and mites in large quantities thus providing invaluable assistance agriculture in the fight against dangerous pests. The victims of cows are inactive, so all hunting comes down to simple eating. In the process of eating aphids, the ladybug is forced to make a zigzag movement, as the aphids are crowded on the leaf. Very rarely, ladybugs attack caterpillars. 
Ladybug - description
Outwardly, this insect resembles a small turtle with tiny spots scattered over the shell. But the family is so diverse that when faced with some kind of bug, it is quite difficult to identify a ladybug in it. The bright coloration of both scarlet and yellow is a kind of warning that they are dangerous. Birds do not risk attacking them, and the taste is not very pleasant. Ladybugs secrete a bitter, pungent liquid that has an unpleasant odor. 
Lifestyle
Representatives of ladybugs of yellow and red colors have the same size up to 12 mm. Any insect of this species has hard elytra. Their main function is to protect the second pore of the wings during flight. Both red and yellow ladybugs are excellent flyers. Their wings make up to 85 strokes per second. Also, in the course of evolution, these little bugs have learned one clever trick. In case of danger, they pretend to be dead, pressing their paws. Yellow ladybugs live for over a year. Nature measured the same amount of time for her red sister.
Similarities and differences
Most often you can meet seven-spot representatives of this species. These cows are predominantly red in color. The yellow one has fourteen such points. Bright yellow ladybugs can be decorated already seventeen points. The place where they live is Europe. Nature gave these insects all sorts of combinations of color and spots, stripes, commas. But yellow have insects that mainly live in South-East Asia having nineteen points.
Very often the question arises - are these insects dangerous to humans? No. After interacting with a ladybug, you just need to wash your hands thoroughly.
What is the difference between a yellow and a red ladybug? With its color and number of spots. Otherwise, they, as representatives of the same species, have much in common. They destroy the same pests, have a similar lifestyle. 
European red and yellow ladybugs start breeding in May. Their southern counterparts can give birth to their offspring several times a year. The process is the same for both species. The female lays on the underside of the leaf. up to 1500 eggs. Moreover, food supplies should be located near the masonry. Thus, parents try to secure the future of their offspring. The larvae even surpass their parents in appetite and attack food that is larger than them. The development of ladybug larvae takes up to 3 months. 
people and insects
Many gardeners dream of having such helpers. But the method of simply catching a certain number of insects and releasing them in the garden will most likely not work. It is best to use for breeding purposes not adults, but larvae. Many experienced gardeners attract insects. To do this, it is enough to plant a red elderberry on the site. The aphid so beloved by ladybugs most often settles on it. If the proposed housing meets all the needs of insects, and they do not want to leave this place. Food should always be required quantity. With its lack, in order to preserve the population, adults will scatter to other territories. The tradition of collecting ladybugs originated in the United States, where they were collected in bags and settled in vegetable gardens.
This is interesting!
Probably everyone knows this cute little red bug with black spots or dots on the wings. In Russia, it has long been called - ladybug. The name "God's" most likely comes from the fact that this bug gives the impression of a gentle and touching creature. By analogy, "God's man" is the name given to gullible and harmless people.
And this cow cute bug is also called for a reason. At the slightest danger, droplets of an orange milky liquid appear on the folds of his legs. True, this “milk” tastes unpleasant, but it is not intended to be drunk. This liquid repels enemies that ladybugs also have.
Ladybug in most European languages has a name similar in meaning or is called a ladybug Mother of God, and in Israel - the cow of Moses. In many languages there is also a counting rhyme similar to ours, in which they ask to fly to heaven and bring bread.
One more, less famous name- cow of Moses (and again religious motives!). Moreover, the divinity of this small beetle is emphasized in other cultures:
in Germany- this is "Marienkaefer" - a bug Virgin Mary;
in England, USA, Canada, other English-speaking countries - Ladybird (bird of Our Lady), Lady-beetle (bee of Our Lady), Ladybug (bug of Our Lady);
in France- poulette a Dieu - which translates as "chicken of God" ...
Impossible to list everything modern countries and languages, but in all our "ladybug" is called some animal or insect belonging to God, the Mother of God, or at least one of the saints (as in Argentina - "Saint Anthony's ladybug") or pagan gods. There are other names, but they are also associated with heaven.
Another hypothesis for the origin of the epithet "divine" due to the fact that earlier this adjective was used in the meaning of "peaceful, meek, harmless." This bug is considered to be herbivorous, but in fact it is a predator, however, useful. The most common, seven-spotted ladybug eats aphids that are harmful cultivated plants. So she could get such a name for saving crops from the invasion of pests.
There are about 5,000 species of ladybugs in the world. They come in yellow, orange, brown, pink, or even completely black. Some species of ladybug do not have spots at all.
According to legend, in the Middle Ages, crops of grain crops in Europe suffered from pests, so farmers began to pray. Soon they noticed ladybugs, with the appearance of which, the crops were miraculously saved from pests. Farmers associated their happiness with red-black beetles, which later became the reason for the divine name of the insect.
Gardeners welcome ladybugs with open arms, as they exterminate the most prolific pests. Cows feed on mealybugs, whiteflies, mites and aphids. A hungry adult ladybug can eat up to 50 aphids a day. Many are specially bred for this purpose.
One of the species of ladybug - rhodolia - is famous for the fact that saved citrus plantations California, Florida, Algeria, France, Japan, New Zealand, Black Sea coast Caucasus, when they were attacked by a terrible pest brought from Australia - a grooved worm that was not afraid even of hydrocyanic acid. People brought rhodolia from Australia, which from time immemorial fought with the grooved mealybug. This black-patterned red ladybug attacks females, especially egg sacs, making short work of them.
During the flight, the ladybug makes 85 wing beats per second.
Spots on ladybugs are designed to scare away predators.
Ladybugs are perennial insects and during the winter they live only on stocks accumulated over the summer.
Interesting fact ladybugs exist different colors: pink, yellow, white, orange and even black.
The older the ladybug, the fewer spots on her back.
Depending on the species, a ladybug can lay up to 2,000 eggs in her lifetime.
Ladybugs are a great natural pesticide and are even bred for this purpose. They eat aphids, which are the enemy of plants.
When a ladybug is attacked, it may squirt a scented liquid from knee joints your legs. The scent alerts birds and predators that the ladybug is poisonous.
Did you know that ladybugs are also known for their ability to pretend to be dead in order to fool a predator and save their lives.
Ladybug flight in slow motion
- For scientists, the annual flight of ladybugs for the winter is still a mystery. Bugs always return to once chosen places. It is impossible to explain this phenomenon by the good memory of the insect, because due to the short life expectancy of their life, new generations return to the old wintering grounds.
A story about a ladybug for children will tell interesting information about this bug.
Ladybug story
Ladybug is an insect that is distributed throughout the globe. More than 4,000 species of ladybugs are known. Ladybugs are not necessarily scarlet, and dots are not necessarily black, and there may not be dots at all, there may be stripes, spots, and even commas. It all depends on the type of insect.
The ladybug has small wings, and under them are rigid translucent underwings. The ladybug is able to deftly crawl along the stalks of grasses, and can fly long distances.
The bright coloration of ladybugs - red or yellow with black dots - has a protective function, warning predators such as insectivorous birds that ladybugs have a very unpleasant taste.
Why is the ladybug called that? The origin of the name "cow" is most likely due to the peculiarity of the bug: it can give milk, and not ordinary, but red! Such a liquid is released in case of danger from the paws. Milk is very unpleasant in taste and in large doses it is even DEADLY! for predators who want to eat a cow.
And "God's" she may have been nicknamed for her harmless nature and help in preserving the crop by destroying aphids.
According to ancient beliefs, the cow is directly connected with God, she lives in heaven and only occasionally descends to earth. IN ancient Russia a ladybug was approached with a question about the upcoming weather. If she flew away from the palm of her hand, it meant good weather, and if not, then - bad weather.
The ladybug is not only beautiful and people love to admire it, it is also useful for humans! Insect ladybug in huge quantities destroys various dangerous pests which is of great benefit to agriculture.
Ladybug, despite its harmless appearance, is a predator. It eats inactive aphids - pests of plants. On the day this crumb destroys almost a hundred aphids or three hundred of their larvae. One ladybug lays about four hundred eggs in her life. Each of them hatches a larva, which also feeds on aphids. It grows and pupates in less than a month. The pupa is glued to the leaves and hangs upside down. Soon an adult ladybug emerges from it.
Some farmers specifically breed ladybugs on their plots. And in order, such beneficial insect did not fly away, they arrange special houses where the bugs can comfortably spend the winter.
How long does a ladybug live? Ladybugs live from 2 months to 2 years, but in winter they hibernate. The ladybug hibernates in cracks under the bark, under stones, in fallen leaves on the edges of the forest. For the winter, the bugs gather in large groups.
The ladybug is considered a symbol of good luck; in ancient times, people worshiped this insect and idolized it. The image of this beetle on clothes or various decorations was considered a talisman.
The ancient Slavs considered the ladybug a messenger of the sun goddess. It is believed that you can not drive away the ladybug, which sat on you, so as not to frighten off fortune.
Today we will talk about an arthropod beetle insect - a ladybug. This beetle is for many the personification of summer and the warm sun.
It is also loved by both adults and children. Where does this insect get such a name and how it is called in different countries?
Scientifically, the ladybug is called "coccineus", which is translated from Latin means "scarlet". BUT folk names in different countries of the world this beetle has a lot and they are all very cute:
- the Germans have a "bug of the Virgin Mary",
- Czechs - "Sun",
- Latin Americans call it - "St. Anthony's cow."
Where the Russian nickname of the beetle "ladybug" came from is not known for certain. One of the versions is a peculiarity of the beetle, when threatened, secrete a yellow liquid similar to milk. In fact, this liquid is poisonous and is designed to scare off enemies. And the word "divine" means harmless. Another suggestion is that the beetle is so named because by destroying aphids, it saves the crop.
Description of the structure of the beetle with photographs
The size of the bugs varies from 4 to 10 millimeters. Their body is almost round, the abdomen is flat, and the top is convex. Some varieties of cows have small villi on their bodies. The structure of the body is distinguished by the beetle's head, pronotum, chest and six legs, belly, elytra and wings.
beetle head small, connected to the chest and completely motionless. Some species have an elongated head. The eyes are large, the antennae are very flexible.
beetle pronotum resembles a sphere cutting edge which has a cutout. There are often dark spots on the pronotum.
Ladybug has 3 pairs of legs. The insect moves quite quickly in the thickets of grass due to the special structure of the legs.
Beetles can fly thanks to the existing pair of wings. There are also elytra that protect the wings while on the ground.
When a danger arises, for example, a bird attack, the bug releases a liquid with a pungent odor, which repels ill-wishers. Also, the bug is helped by its bright color.
Coloring of the elytra of a ladybug may be different and the color depends on the type of insect. So, the color of the elytra of a ladybug is:
- scarlet,
- yellow,
- black,
- blue
- brown.
Spots on a bright background are usually dark, but there are also yellow and even white. Some types of bugs may have abstract spots, some will have clear polka dots, and others will not have them at all. Often such patterns can help in determining the sex of an individual.
Types of insects
The ladybug family includes more than four thousand species beetles, which are conditionally divided into families and 360 genera.
Most interesting views ladybugs:
Habitat
The range of ladybugs covers the entire Earth
, except for Antarctica and areas with permafrost.
Some species of insects live only on plants densely populated with aphids, others choose reed grass and sedge growing on the banks of rivers, others require only field grass for normal life.
As a rule, these cute beetles live apart and gather in groups only for wintering or during the mating season.
Ladybug is very thermophilic therefore, when cold weather sets in, the bugs fly away in groups to warmer climes for wintering. There are also sedentary varieties of ladybugs, they wait out the frosts, gathering in numerous groups. Such a group can include up to 40 million beetles. They hide in stones, fallen leaves, and tree bark.
The life span of an insect is short. If there is no shortage of food, then their life reaches one year, with a lack of food - several months.
Insect nutrition
All ladybugs, with rare exceptions - predatory insects
and prefer aphids and mites. They are also not averse to eating caterpillars and butterfly eggs. If there is not enough food, then the insect will not disdain and eat the eggs of the Colorado potato beetle.
There are varieties of ladybugs that feed exclusively on grass, mushroom mycelium and fruits.
Reproduction of insects and their development
An individual becomes sexually mature in the interval from three to six months. Mating begins in the spring. Immediately after waking up from hibernation, the beetles are ready for the mating process. The female emits a pungent odor, thanks to which the male finds her. The insect lays its eggs on plants inhabited by aphids, thereby providing food for its future offspring. In one clutch there can be up to 400 eggs. After the mating period, all females die..
After two weeks, small variegated larvae emerge from the eggs. Their body is covered with a pattern of yellow, white and orange spots. For the first few days, the larvae feed on egg shells and unfertilized eggs, and when they get a little stronger, they are taken for aphids.
The larval stage lasts from 4 to 7 weeks, after which the pupation stage begins. The pupa is attached to the leaf and the body of the insect is gradually formed.
After a few days, usually from 7 to 10, an adult ladybug appears.
The benefits and harms of insects
These greedy kids benefit thousands of gardeners and gardeners by destroying aphids- the most annoying enemy of all plants. A beetle larva can eat more than 50 aphids per day, and an adult beetle can eat up to 100 individuals. Some specially breed ladybugs on their plots, this is especially true on an industrial scale. Beetles are sprayed over agricultural fields with the help of aircraft.
Despite this, some species of these insects that live in the tropics and subtropics can destroy crops by eating plants. IN Russian Federation there are several such species that affect vegetable crops.
