Ladybugs are tiny, adorable insects that everybody loves to find. Although most commonly recognized as small red bugs with black dots, ladybugs actually come in a variety of patterns and colors.
These insects may be small but there are a lot of fascinating facts that make up these hard-shelled beauties. Let’s find out what these bugs do on earth and what makes them so unique.
Ladybugs aren’t actually bugs at all, they are beetles. They are part of the Coccinellidae family of beetles and are among the smallest in the family.
It’s quite a mouthful but the scientific name for the seven-spotted ladybug is a Coccinellidae septempunctata.
Ladybugs are known to be predators of plant pests such as aphids and can consume about 5000 of them in a lifetime, or about 50 in a day.
They were imported to California to control a pest, the cottony cushion scale. The experiment was a huge success, orange crop growth in California tripled.
Not only do their spots make them unique and aesthetically pleasing little insects. They also serve as a warning sign against potential predators.
They emit foul-smelling blood from their knees when startled or threatened.