June 5, 2023
14 Fascinating Facts About Ladybugs
(These are excerpts from a story by Rosemary Mosco and orginially published on mentalfloss.com and updated for 2023)
- Ladybugs are named after the Blessed Virgin Mary.
One of the most common European Ladybugs is the seven-spot ladybug, and its seven marks reminded people of the Virgin Mary’s seven sorrows. Germans even call these insects Marienkäfers, or Mary’s beetles.
- They are not bugs!
Ladybugs are not bugs – they are beetles. They are part of Coleonptera, the beetle order.
- Some people call ladybugs birds, bishops, or cows.
In parts of England, and for reasons that are unclear, the ladybug is a bishop. Nowadays, most people in England use the word ladybird, perhaps because these insects are able flyers.
In several languages, the portly, spotted ladybug is affectionately known as a little cow. French people sometimes use the term vache à Dieu, which means “cow of God”.
- Ladybugs come in a rainbow of colors.
You’ve probably seen red ladybugs with black spots – but members of the ladybug family come in a wide range of hues, from ashy gray to dull brown to metallic blue. Their patterns vary, too; some have stripes, some have squiggles, and some have no pattern at all.
- Those colors are warning signs.
To avoid being eaten, ladybug species with bright colors are walking billboards that say, “Don’t eat me, I’ll make you sick!” And that is because…
- Ladybugs defend themselves with toxic chemicals.
A lot of ladybugs produce toxins that make them distasteful to birds and other would-be predators. These noxious substances are linked to a ladybug’s color, the brighter the ladybug, the stronger the toxins. Don’t panic: Ladybugs won’t harm you unless you eat many pounds of them!
- They lay extra eggs as a snack for their young.
Ladybug moms lay clusters of eggs on a plant, but not all of those eggs are destined to hatch. Some of them lack embryos. They’re a tasty gift from the mother ladybug; the newly hatched larvae will gooble them up.
- Ladybug larvae look like alligators.
What hatches out of those ladybug eggs is a long, spiny larva that looks a little like an alligator. Though ladybug larvae may be intimidating, they’re not harmful to humans. They crawl around, feeding and growing, until they’re ready to turn into something even weirder…
- Ladybug pupae look like aliens.
Once the larvae find a nice spot in the garden, they turn into an alien-looking pupa. Protected by a hard covering, the ladybug then makes an incredible transformation from larva to adult, bursting out of its old skin.
- Adult ladybugs fly with hidden wings.
When a ladybug takes flight, it lifts up its protective, hard covered wings, that are not suitable for flight, and slides out another pair of wings that are light weight, slender and perfect for flight.
- Ladybugs survive the winter as adults.
They enter a state of rest and cuddle together in groups, often in logs or under leaves. Some even find comfort in our homes, the harlequin ladybug enjoys the warmth that is provided.
- They’re voracious predators – mostly.
They are a natural form of pest control. They’re favorite foods are some of our worst plant pests: aphids, scale bugs, and mealybugs. A single ladybug can eat 5000 aphids across its lifetime.
- Humans are spreading ladybug species around the world.
People have introduced non-native ladybugs to combat agricultural pests, and in some cases they’ve hitchhiked on imported goods. The results have not always been beneficial as they push out the native species and introduce a deadly fungal parasite.
- They can be bad for your wine.
After devouring the aphids on nearby crops, such as soybeans, if vineyards are nearby, the ladybugs take up residence in bunches of grapes. When ladybugs become frightened during harvesting, they squirt out a smelly defensive liquid fluid. The resulting wine has a particular stinky flavor that has been likened to peanuts or asparagus.
There are additional sources on the use of beneficial insects at:
www.aggies-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/problem-solver
Jon Maxwell, Dallas County Master Gardener
DALLAS GARDEN BUZZ 