Ladybugs

Basic Information

Ladybugs aren’t actually bugs at all – they’re a type of beetle belonging to the family Coccinellidae!

Scientists have discovered over 5,000 different species of ladybugs around the world!

A group of ladybugs is called a “loveliness” – just like how a group of lions is called a pride!

Ladybugs can be found on every continent except Antarctica!

The average ladybug lives for about one year in the wild, but can live up to two or three years in captivity!

Most ladybugs are tiny, measuring between 0.3 and 0.4 inches (8-10 millimeters) in length! — That’s about as small as a chocolate sprinkle on your cupcake!

A ladybug only weighs about as much as a paper clip – between 0.02 and 0.04 grams!

Male ladybugs are usually smaller than females, but both look almost exactly the same!

Baby ladybugs are called larvae, and they look completely different from their parents!

The scientific order that ladybugs belong to, Coleoptera, contains more species than any other order in the animal kingdom!

Physical Characteristics

Not all ladybugs are red with black spots – they can be yellow, orange, brown, pink, or even black with red spots!

The spots on a ladybug’s back are like a fingerprint – no two patterns are exactly the same!

A ladybug’s bright colors warn predators that they taste bad!

Ladybugs have six legs, each with a special grippy pad that helps them walk on almost any surface – even upside down!

A ladybug’s wings are about 2 times longer than its body when fully extended!

Ladybugs have two sets of wings – the hard outer wings protect the delicate flying wings underneath!

The number of spots on a ladybug doesn’t tell its age – the pattern is determined by its species and genetics!

Ladybugs have compound eyes made up of thousands of tiny lenses!

A ladybug’s shell (called elytra) is so strong it can protect them from being stepped on by animals much larger than them!

Behavior & Intelligence

Ladybugs release a smelly yellow liquid from their leg joints when they feel threatened – this is called reflex bleeding!

When winter comes, ladybugs gather in large groups of thousands to stay warm!

Ladybugs can fly at speeds up to 37 miles per hour (60 km/h)!

Ladybugs communicate with each other using chemicals called pheromones!

Ladybugs can flap their wings up to 85 times per second when flying!

If a ladybug gets flipped onto its back, it can use its legs to rock back and forth until it rights itself!

Ladybugs clean themselves after every meal, just like cats do!

When threatened, ladybugs can play dead by lying still on their backs!

Ladybugs follow the sun to navigate, just like ancient sailors did!

Habitat & Survival

Ladybugs can live almost anywhere there are plants and insects to eat!

Some ladybugs migrate up to 75 miles (121 km) to find food and better weather!

Ladybugs often live in gardens, forests, grasslands, and even deserts!

Many farmers welcome ladybugs because they eat pests that damage crops!

Ladybugs can survive in temperatures from below freezing up to 105°F (40°C)!

Some ladybugs live at heights of up to 11,000 feet (3,353 meters) in mountain regions!

During winter, some ladybugs can survive without food for up to 9 months!

Ladybugs prefer to lay their eggs near colonies of aphids to ensure their babies have food when they hatch!

Ladybugs often return to the same place year after year to hibernate!

Life Cycle

A female ladybug can lay up to 1,000 eggs in her lifetime! They typically lay clusters of 10 to 50 eggs at a time.

Ladybug eggs are tiny – about the size of a grain of salt!

Ladybug larvae molt (shed their skin) four times before becoming adults!

It takes about 4 to 8 weeks for a ladybug to develop from egg to adult!

Baby ladybugs eat their own eggshells as their first meal after hatching!

A ladybug larva can eat up to 400 aphids during its development!

When ladybugs transform into adults, their bodies are soft and yellow before hardening and developing their final color!

Ladybug eggs usually hatch within 3–5 days, depending on temperature!

The pupal stage, when a ladybug larva transforms into an adult, lasts about 7–10 days!

A newly emerged adult ladybug takes about 24 hours for its spots to appear!

Diet & Feeding

A single ladybug can eat up to 5,000 insects in its lifetime!

Most ladybugs eat more than 50 aphids per day!

Some ladybug species are vegetarians and only eat plants or fungi!