The ladybug looks quite small. Ladybug sizes range from 4 to 9 mm in length. The ladybug is recognizable because it is most often colored red and studded with black dots. The ladybug has a convex, almost circular body. Ladybug looks interesting, because in the structure of its body so many small details.
Ladybug insect has head, pronotum, thorax, abdomen, wings with elytra and legs. Ladybug has a small and short head, which is fixed to the pronotum. The insect has eyes and movable antennae on its head. The ladybug flies with a pair of hind wings. The ladybug's front wings are rigid elysed wings that protect the main wings while it is on the ground. The ladybug flies very well and flaps up to 85 wings per second.
Everyone knows that the ladybug looks so bright to scare off predators. In addition to its variegated coloration, the ladybug also secretes a yellow liquid with a pungent specific smell. This liquid is poisonous and serves as a defense against frogs, spiders and other potential enemies. The ladybug beetle secretes its poisonous liquid from the joints of its legs in case of danger. Also in case of danger the insect can even pretend to be dead.
Of course, the red ladybug is not the only color option for this insect. There are yellow ladybugs, black ladybugs and even white ladybugs. How the ladybug looks and what color it will be depends on the type of ladybug. At the same time, the richest color have the youngest individuals, in older it fades over time.
Ladybug species
Ladybug species are very diverse. They all have different shapes, sizes, colors and number of dots. There are even ladybugs without dots. There are more than four thousand species of ladybugs, which are combined in 360 genera and distributed in almost all parts of the world.
The most famous and widespread species of ladybugs, which we are most familiar with, is the seven-pointed ladybug. It has a color familiar to us in red, and it is so named because it has exactly 7 black dots. Below in the photo you can see different kinds of ladybugs.
Where does ladybug live?
Ladybugs live almost everywhere, except in the Arctic and Antarctic. Ladybugs live on trees, bushes and grass in different parts of the world. Most often ladybug lives in the steppe zone, woodlands, mountains and gardens. In Russia the ladybug lives practically on the whole territory, except for the extreme northern regions. Also ladybug lives in Europe, Asia, Japan, China, India, Mongolia, Africa, Korea and America.
How does the ladybug live?
Ladybug lives by being active from early spring until late fall. In winter, ladybugs hide under fallen leaves, tree bark, or rocks, where they stay until spring. But not all ladybugs are sedentary and stay over winter where they spent the summer. It is not uncommon for ladybugs to migrate before the onset of cold weather.
During the wintering and migratory periods, ladybugs, which usually live a solitary lifestyle, gather together. Mass aggregations of this beetle are also typical during the mating season. In spring, the ladybug wakes up very early, with temperatures as low as +10°C. That is why ladybugs can be seen among the first after winter. Ladybugs live from 10 to 12 months and only rarely up to 2 years. The life expectancy of a ladybug depends on the availability of food.
What do ladybugs eat?
It will probably be a big discovery for all of us that most ladybugs are carnivores. That's because ladybugs eat aphids. A ladybug eats about a hundred aphids a day. Ladybugs also eat leafminers, scales, mites and worms. The larva of the ladybug is also a predator. Both the ladybug and its larva are very voracious.
The ladybug insect destroys various dangerous pests in huge quantities, thus bringing enormous benefits to agriculture. The seven-pointed ladybird was even specially brought to America to control spider mites and aphids.
Of course, there are also plant-eating ladybug species. These ladybugs feed on plants and harm agriculture. Plant-eating ladybugs are most common in the tropics of all continents and the subtropics of Southeast Asia.
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