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Ladybugs (also called lady birds and lady beetles) are small,
oval-shaped winged insects. These shiny insects are usually red with black spots
or black with red spots on the wing covers. The number of spots identifies the
type of ladybug. Most ladybugs are less than 1/4 inch (4-8 mm) long. As ladybugs
age, the color of the spots fade. Birds are the major predator of the ladybug.
Ladybugs will play dead when threatened.
DIET:
These tiny predators are usually
very welcome in gardens because ladybug larvae and adults eat aphids, mealybugs,
and mites (which are garden pests). Ladybug larvae can eat about 25 aphids a
day; adults can eat over 50. There are about 5,000 different species of ladybugs
throughout the world. A common species is the two-spotted ladybug; it is orange
red with one black spot on each wing cover.
HABITAT:
Ladybugs live in a variety of habitats,
including forests, fields, grasslands, gardens, and even in people's houses.
LADYBUG CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom Animalia
(animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (arthropods)
Class: Insecta (insects)
Family Coleoptera.
Lovely Lady Bugs