Ladybird, Lady Beetle
Ladybugs are small (up to .4 in long) beetles with black spots on their red or orange dome-shaped wing covers. Most Ladybugs can be identified by their colour and number of spots; however, some are black, brown, or gray or have stripes instead of spots. Seven-Spotted Ladybugs are very common in Europe as well as North America.
Ladybugs are a valuable addition to any garden as they eat insects that prey on plants (one Ladybug can eat up to 75 Aphids per day). Pollen sometimes sticks to their bodies as they search for aphids and, by transporting it to other plants, they assist in pollination. They also assist other pollinators that benefit from plants that are healthier as there are less pests.
The multicolored Asian Lady Beetles were introduced to North America in the 1970s. They reproduce more quickly and can withstand colder winters than North American beetles and have become Canada's most common Ladybug. Asian Lady Beetles are usually larger than other Ladybugs (.3 in) and have a black M-shaped mark behind their heads.
Ladybugs hibernate over the winter in dry, warm places (in a house or in decaying leaves beneath a shrub). They deliberately lay their eggs near a good source of food for their young, such as a colony of aphids or other plant-eating insects.
Did you know? Ladybugs defend themselves from predators by playing dead and secreting a fluid with a nasty taste and smell from their leg joints (their bright colour is also a warning for predators).
See Also: Spittlebug, Water Boatman, Water Strider
