What does a ladybug eat. How long do ladybugs live What does a ladybug eat in nature

Not all insects and bugs cause a feeling of disgust in people. Some representatives of their species are quite cute and harmless, for example, ladybugs. Keeping and caring for these beetles in winter has a number of features and requirements. Therefore, if with the onset of the first autumn cold weather a ladybug flew into the house, you do not need to throw it out into the street. Watching and caring for such a pet will be very interesting and useful for the overall development of the child.

Features and habitat of the insect

Ladybug (from lat. Coccinellidae) - beetle beetle insect, which lives in almost all corners of the globe, except for Antarctica and permafrost zones. In its natural habitat, this insect does not look defenseless - it is a pronounced predator.

The body of Coccinellidae has a hemispherical convex shape. The phase of intensive reproduction and development of beetles begins with the onset of spring and lasts until late autumn. The lifespan of a ladybug ranges from 3-4 months to a year, depending on the climatic conditions of the region and the availability of food.

The seven-spot ladybug (from lat. Coccinella septempunctata) is the most numerous and widespread species of the order. It is characterized by a pronounced color of the wings (red-orange tones) and black dots on them. It has a peculiar method of protection - in case of danger, it releases a characteristically smelling orange liquid. Developed wings enable the insect to fly.

Libya grapes

The main enemies of Coccinellidae are spiders and frogs that feed on them. They are of no interest to birds.

Nutrition and maintenance

In order to feed a ladybug, you need to know what she eats. Young individuals are very voracious. Ladybugs eat:

• aphids - is the main source of nutrition;
• psyllids;
• worms;
• scale insects;
• ticks.

Therefore, they are most often found under the leaves of trees and plants, as well as in the crevices of buildings and wooden window blocks.

For home improvement, a transparent glass or plastic container with a closed top is ideal. The best option would be a bottle or food box with a lid. But we should not forget that every living organism needs oxygen for life and development, so small holes must be made in the lid for air to enter the container.

The cow's dwelling should be of such a size that it can fly short distances. A twig or any object with an internal hole is perfect as a sleeping place so that the animal can hide there. For variety and beauty, you can add flower petals or grass to the "interior". It is important to prevent rotting and drying of the leaves in the container. changing them every two days.

Food for keeping a ladybug at home can be:

• sugar;
• lettuce;
• raisin;
• apples.

Ideas for giving a second life to a washing machine

Water plays a special role in the nutritional diet of any organism. For convenience, you can place a metal bottle cap in your home and fill it with water. The water level in the drinker should not exceed the height of the beetle's body so that it does not drown. It is enough to feed and water the insect 2-3 times a day, but it is important not to overfeed it. Meals should be taken in small portions.

Care and caution

The ladybug is small (an adult reaches an average of 0.8-1 cm) and fragile, so any attempt to pick it up or play with it can lead to negative consequences. Precautions and care when caring for a bug are the following points:

• Catching an animal is best done with a net.
• In order to take an insect in your hand, you need to put your finger next to it and wait until it climbs on it by itself.
• The ideal temperature for life and reproduction of Coccinellidae is +20 ⁰ С, so it is recommended to avoid hypothermia.

Do not forget that a pet is an insect, so after each contact with it, it is recommended to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

In different countries, this bug is called differently, but its name always shows the deep respect of the people for a small insect. In England, it is called "lady beetle", in Ukraine - "sun", and in Russia and, by the way, in France, too - "ladybug". Why cow? Probably because the bug, when frightened, secretes hemolymph from the joints of the paws, a whitish substance similar in appearance (but not in taste!) to milk. And they call it God's because of the great benefits that it brings to our gardens, vineyards and vegetable gardens. Have you ever wondered what ladybugs eat?

Here she is slowly crawling along a blade of grass: red, like half a varnished ball, with seven black dots on her wings ... Stop! In fact, there are about four and a half thousand species of ladybugs around the world. And they are not only red seven-point, but also yellow, white, black, orange. They are found on all continents, where there is at least some vegetation. There is a meadow and field ladybug, one that lives on trees, and even one that loves to live on aquatic plants. But the gastronomic preferences of the entire vast kingdom of "suns" are almost the same - these are soft insects.

There are, of course, harmful “suns”, and even an ordinary ladybug on a hot summer day is not averse to quenching its thirst by chewing on a juicy leaf. However, such harm is incomparable with the benefits that the bug brings to farmers. To track what the ladybug eats, you need to arm yourself with a magnifying glass. It is hard to believe that this cute bug is a terrible and gluttonous predator, because it has a low movement speed and no capture tools, like, for example, praying mantises. But the "sun" does not need this, because its prey is even slower and completely defenseless.

What do ladybugs eat in winter? This migratory insect begins its migration to the mountains with the first night frosts. There it crawls into the cracks and crevices of the rocks. So many flock to their wintering grounds that they cover the stones with a red pattern. Sometimes up to several million individuals accumulate in one place. In tight quarters, but not offended: the more bugs get into a tiny gap, the more chances you have to survive the severe mountain frosts. As soon as the big sun begins to warm the stones, the little "suns" wake up from their winter hibernation and fly out. After eating a little on young grass, the bugs lay their eggs not far from a large colony of aphids in order to provide food for the barely hatched offspring. The number of eggs depends on the nutrition of the mother. In clutch there are from two hundred to four hundred eggs.

After 5-8 days, small larvae appear from them. What do ladybugs eat during their childhood, which lasts about twenty days? First, with neighboring eggs, from which none have yet hatched, in order to stock up on nutrients until the larva finds its main food - eggs, larvae or adult aphids. Moreover, in their search, the young "suns" are very patient and methodical - after all, they do not have wings, like adults, to fly to places with the best food supply, and they tirelessly, meter by meter, examine the space around them.

The ladybug, despite its defenseless appearance, is a predator. They hunt insects, actively eat larvae.

Ladybug eats aphids

Favorite food are aphid larvae and adults.

During the year, spotted predators are able to eat approximately 6,000 aphids. But what do ladybugs eat at home, the diet of an insect?

Ladybug is an interesting insect. The duration of her life in the natural environment of residence reaches three years.

The bright color of the bug gradually brightens. This is especially true of the dark spots on his back.

The size of an adult does not exceed 1 cm. Respiratory holes are located on the side surfaces of the body.

The bug is not harmful to humans, but when a threat arises, it is able to produce an orange-colored secret that is toxic to other insects. If the smell didn't work, he knows how to pretend to be dead.

An insect can successfully exist in an apartment, but for a relatively short time.

In enclosed spaces, it can only make a small masonry. At the same time, both the younger and the older generation remain alive.

Reproduction and life cycle

The female uses the leaves and stems of plants to organize masonry.

Ladybug laying eggs on a leaf

At one time, she lays 200 - 400 eggs. It takes about 7 days for the larvae to emerge. Visually, they resemble miniature crocodiles.

In order to successfully pupate, the larva must eat at least 400 aphids.

The maturation of the larva passes through several stages. 30 days after leaving the egg, they become pupae. After 7 days, young bugs emerge from the cocoon.

ladybug larva

During this period, they completely repeat the appearance of their parents, i.e. have a characteristic bright color that warns other insects of danger, and black spots on the shell.

Ladybug Diet

What does a ladybug eat? This insect, despite its small size and friendly appearance, is a dangerous predator that feeds on other species.

The main share of the diet is represented by aphids with their brood. If necessary, the bug catches other insects that do not exceed its size.

The diet of a small predator includes:

• whitefly;
• small caterpillars;
• bedbugs living in the grass;
• larvae of the Colorado potato beetle.

An adult individual can eat 140-210 units of adult aphids or 390 larvae in one day.

The insect is able to burrow into the soil, reaching the root system of plants.

Ladybug catching spider mites

In the wild

What does a ladybug eat in nature? Beetles are found in gardens all over the planet, because they prefer to hunt not only small-sized representatives of the insect world, but actively destroy various pests of crops.

What does a ladybug larva eat? After mating in spring, sexually mature females lay eggs in certain places. This may be a large colony of aphids or other small insects.

After the larva emerges from the shell, it begins to actively eat nearby insects until pupation. After this stage is completed, the adult beetle feeds like its relatives.

At home

Sometimes ladybugs fly into apartments. If this happened at the beginning or middle of autumn, then the bug can be left indoors for the winter.

To do this, it is necessary to organize a house for her, corresponding to the shelter in natural conditions.

Homemade terrarium for keeping ladybugs

Place a few thin twigs or sticks on the bottom of a liter glass jar and transfer the insect into it.

What do ladybugs eat at home? The insect can be fed with honey or granulated sugar dissolved in warm water.

The result should be a sweet liquid. In it, you need to moisten a piece of cotton wool or gauze, which is placed at the bottom of the jar.

What else can you offer an insect?

In addition to sweet syrup, ladybug will like:

1. soaked raisins;
2. fully ripened apple, cut into slices;
3. lettuce is its white part.

Feeding is carried out twice a day. Feed the bug in small quantities.

In addition to food, the insect needs to be watered. The container should have clean water only at the bottom so that it does not drown.

Feeding a cow a sweet liquid with a toothpick

If we consider what ladybugs eat in winter, then nothing. In the cold season, they fall into deep hibernation.

Conclusion

Ladybugs are welcome guests in garden plots and agricultural fields.

They actively destroy pests that form the basis of the diet, but they also do not refuse sweets in the form of ripe apples or grapes.

Video: TV show about a ladybug and her diet.

In addition to aphids, the ladybug eats small pest caterpillars, slugs, butterfly eggs and the Colorado potato beetle, scale insects and spider mites.

During the spring and summer months, the ladybug eats up, accumulates supplies for the winter. As soon as the cold comes, these beetles begin to hibernate, and in the spring a new round of life starts, and those ladybugs that were able to overwinter begin to lay larvae, but by the time the new generation has a full life, these individuals are already dying. Nevertheless, ladybugs have a very large population, so in nature we meet them quite often, both in the forest and in the stone jungle of megacities.

In scientific books they are called "Coccinellidae", or "Coccinellid", in other countries the ladybug is called differently: "beetle of the Holy Virgin Mary", "beetle of St. Anthony", "Sun". In Tajikistan they are called "Red-bearded grandfather". This name shows how reverently summer residents treat a useful insect.

What does a ladybug eat in winter?

In winter, ladybugs do not eat anything, as they hibernate or hibernate. Before winter, ladybugs accumulate glycerin and sugar in their tissues, and also remove a large amount of water from the body, so that when cold weather sets in and the body cools, it does not burst due to temperature changes.

With the onset of cool days, insects begin to look for warm places for wintering. Ladybugs can concentrate for the winter in one place in large numbers. Before wintering, insects fly in flocks over the city in search of a new shelter. Most often, ladybugs remain for the winter in heaps of dry leaves, in bark, under stones, in forests, in window crevices, sometimes organizing huge clusters. It is not uncommon for ladybugs to fly into private houses and apartments, hide in window frames, behind curtains, behind plinths and in other inconspicuous places, and then the owners find them in a sluggish state of winter suspended animation.

Ladybugs are very useful: they themselves and their larvae feed on pests - aphids. So if ladybugs decide to spend the winter in your garden, you can be sure that in the summer you will be protected from aphids in the garden. But do not rush to completely plow the site, otherwise you will lose your defenders from aphids for a long time. For this little predator, only the human hand is dangerous, they die en masse from poisons that gardeners spray their gardens with. Therefore, leave a few places with fallen leaves so that the cows have somewhere to hide and survive the winter.

The ladybug has wings and is a flying insect, among them there are breeds that are called "migratory". They are like birds, they can fly away for the winter away from their feeding place. But naturally, even there they hibernate, only in huge groups, sometimes even several tons in weight.

A ladybug started up at home - how to feed it?

If you find a live ladybug in your apartment, help her survive until spring. The best way is to take it out of the house, but not to throw it in the snow, but to find a good shelter. A barn or garage is ideal for this purpose, where they can winter without any problems. Do not do this in severe frost, so that the temperature difference for the insect is not too strong.

Keeping an insect in the freezer until spring is not the best idea, the cow simply will not survive.

If you want to try to save the life of a ladybug at home, you need to know how to feed it and how to properly maintain it. Take any container, arrange a floor of leaves, branches, sticks on its bottom and transfer the ladybug there. We also recommend that, in order to create optimal living conditions for the insect, put more straw and dry leaves in a container, mixing loosely with each other so that artificial cracks are created that ladybugs love to use as their lair. It is possible to use corn tops for shelter in a jar, it will perfectly close the insect's dwelling from prying eyes. At home, ladybugs are fed with sweet sugar water or honey, you can pour these compounds into the cap of a plastic bottle. This food is a treat for the ladybug. In addition to sweet water, these beetles are fed raisins and slices of ripe apples. Just like any pet, a ladybug needs some water.

Think twice before deciding to keep a ladybug at home, because it may not survive until spring and this will not necessarily be your fault, the life of a ladybug is about 2 months.

What do ladybugs eat at home and why are they bred?

Some gardeners and businessmen breed ladybugs at home in clear plastic containers, poke very small holes in the lid, or cover them with gauze or mosquito netting and feed them a mixture of yeast and sugar. Why do they do it? To then release them on your site to fight aphids or for sale to other gardeners.

To create comfortable conditions for the life and reproduction of ladybugs, small plants are planted in their homes that inhabit aphids, so the ladybug is almost in its natural habitat, can hunt and lead an active lifestyle. In captivity, ladybugs breed better than in nature, and at the same time, adults remain to live with their faces at the same time.

When enough ladybugs appear in the container, they are put up for further sale, most often they are bought by gardeners in large volumes, and the larvae and a few insects are left for themselves so that the cycle of ladybugs does not end.

The Russian Federation must immediately withdraw its troops from certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The US State Department notes that over the past month, fighting in the regions of Donbass not controlled by the central government has intensified, which provoked an increase in civilian casualties.

Police operation to take place in Donbass

(News of Mariupol and the region)

To restore constitutional control in the Donbass, several thousand Ukrainian law enforcement officers will be enough, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov is sure. There is no need to attract 40,000 peacekeepers, because the introduction of a peacekeeping contingent is a difficult task from a legislative point of view.

The German minister visited the war zone

(News of Mariupol and the region)

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas visited the front-line city of Mariupol, Donetsk region. This was reported on the official page on the social network of his Ukrainian colleague Pavel Klimkin. As Klimkin noted, the main purpose of the meeting is to communicate with local residents and analyze the situation in the so-called "grey zone".

Poroshenko hopes for the deployment of peacekeeping troops

(News of Mariupol and the region)

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko expressed hope for an early deployment of peacekeeping troops to certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. His colleague Frank-Walter Steinmeier closely follows the latest developments in eastern Ukraine, therefore he has his own options for ending the armed conflict there.

Matios spoke about the crimes of military personnel

(News of Mariupol and the region)

Military personnel should not be idealized, says military prosecutor Anatoly Matios. The level of crime among them remains consistently high, although the military prosecutor's office is actively fighting these manifestations. The chief military prosecutor of Ukraine spoke about this at a conference in Kharkov on reforming military justice.

Ladybugs interesting facts ...

How do ladybugs prepare for winter?

When the cold period comes, ladybugs prepare for wintering and begin to look for a suitable place for this. They can be seen in some places in large (even huge) numbers.

They can even fly around the city, looking for a place for wintering.
Most often they hide under fallen leaves, as it is warmer there.
In general, ladybugs hibernate in clusters under dry leaves, bark, stones, in crevices, forest belts, often forming simply grandiose clusters.

How long do ladybugs live

Depending on the availability of food, these insects live from several months to a year, and very rarely up to two years. Juveniles are always bright in coloration, which gradually fades with age, while remaining a fairly convincing warning to predators who want to encroach on the insect's life.

What do ladybugs eat

Ladybugs are very useful: both they and their larvae feed exclusively on aphids and their sweetish secretions, some prefer spider mites.

Types of ladybugs

More than 4,000 species of ladybugs are known, which are common in all parts of the world. Some of them are found on all plants: trees, shrubs or grasses that only have aphids; others keep only on the grasses of the field; still others - in meadows adjacent to streams; the fourth - only on trees; finally, some species live on reeds and other aquatic plants; the latter are distinguished by their longer legs, which help them to stay on plants that bend easily from the wind. The most common species is the seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata). It is 7-8 mm long. Its pectoral shield is black with a whitish spot in the anterior corner; red elytra with 7 black dots, very common in Europe, North Africa and Asia.

The Asian ladybug or Harlequin (Harmonia axyridis) has historically lived in Asia, as its name suggests. As you know, ladybugs are predators, and their main food is aphids, which are pests. The Asian ladybug is especially gluttonous, which was the reason that people specifically settled it in Europe and North America to control agricultural pests. It took root well in new places and began to displace indigenous species.

The Asian ladybug species includes 11 varieties (intraspecific rank below the subspecies).

Representatives of varieties differ in color, they may have a yellow or black shell with dots of various colors. The number of points can also be different: from 2 to 19.

Life cycle of the Asian ladybug

The life cycle of the Asian ladybug is no different from that of other ladybug species.

We found photos on the net describing the life cycle of a yellow-colored Asian ladybug with 19 black dots. Here is a photo of an adult:

The female ladybug lays her eggs on plants. She always does this near the aphid colony, so she provides the offspring with a supply of food.

The eggs have an oblong oval shape with slightly narrowed tops.

After 1-2 weeks, larvae appear from the eggs, which bear little resemblance to adult ladybugs. Here is a photo of the larva:

In the first days of the larval stage of the life cycle, young individuals eat the shell of the egg from which they hatched, as well as neighboring unfertilized eggs and eggs with a dead embryo. Having grown stronger, the larvae are sent to search for aphids.

The larval stage of the life cycle of a ladybug usually lasts 5-6 weeks, sometimes more or less than a week. Then the larva pupates, that is, turns into a chrysalis.

After about a week, an adult appears from the pupa, which is the ladybug that we are all used to seeing.

See also: photos of ladybugs.

See also: how many black dots are on the elytra of a ladybug.

See also: GIF ladybug.

In the late 19th century, the Australian aphid began infesting most orchards in California. The pest multiplied so quickly that there was a real threat to the complete destruction of all fruit trees. Help came in a timely manner - an entomologist from Australia investigated the cause of the infection and brought 500 ladybugs to aphid-stricken farms. A year later, the aphid was destroyed.

Most ladybugs do not exceed 12 mm in size, whether they are oval or round types. The delicate hind wings of these insects are protected by hard elytra, which have a characteristic bright red or yellow color, by which we recognize ladybugs. Of their 5,000 species, most are red in color with black dots. In addition to them, there are also yellow or orange with black dots, and even black with red dots. There are exotic colorings that look like a chessboard, or plain, without dots.

Most ladybugs live up to one year. Adult insects sleep in cozy dry places, often under a layer of leaves. When the air gets warmer, they wake up and fly out into the wild in search of aphid-infested plants. The female lays hundreds of tiny eggs on the underside of the leaf, close to the aphid cluster. The hatched larva has three pairs of legs, continuously eats aphids and grows, often shedding its shell. After several molts, the larva attaches itself to the plant and pupates. Soon an adult emerges from the pupa. At first it is colorless, but during the day the elytra take on a bright color intended to remind them of their poisonousness.

Ladybugs have a good defense against predators - in case of danger, they secrete a pungent yellow substance with an unpleasant odor and taste. It is enough for a bird or a spider to try once to remember well - it is inedible. Usually, after this, the predator not only leaves its prey alone, but also remembers that it is inedible. Ladybugs are not touched even by tarantulas. If they immediately eat other insects that have fallen into their mink, then the spider immediately puts the ladybug out the door, urging it on with blows of its front paws.

In case of danger, the beetle, tucking its legs and antennae, falls to the ground. This is a kind of nervous shock, developed as a way to protect against enemies: You can turn the bug on its back and press it lightly, watch how it becomes numb, how orange drops stand out and taste them.

I tried it as a child, disgusting, but not fatal (more precisely, it is fatal when a dose of 40-80 mg of cantharidin enters the body, but this is how many cows you need to lick).

Some species of ladybugs do not feed on aphids, but eat exclusively plant food - such species sometimes attack plants that are useful to humans, but most of them are natural non-waste “pesticides” animals, for which many thanks to them))

There is still no reasonable opinion why this beetle is called a "cow", and most importantly, why "God's". Its divinity is also emphasized in other cultures: in Germany it is called Marienkaefer (beetle of the Holy Virgin Mary), in England and English-speaking countries - Ladybird, Ladybug or Lady Beetle (Lady obviously means the Virgin Mary), in Argentina - St. Anthony's Cow, in Spain - Mariquita, in Israel - the cow of Moses.

However, in reality, ladybugs' behavior is not at all angelic, they have sins of a sexual nature: promiscuity, necrophilia, homosexuality, and, as a result, venereal diseases. This is described in an article published in 2001 in the journal Nature. Its author, Ilya Artemyevich Zakharov, is not some kind of paparazzi, but a corresponding member. RAS, Doctor of Science, Deputy Director of the Institute of General Genetics. N.I. Vavilov of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

sources: 1, 2, 3, 4.

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Ladybugs and the Environment

Ladybugs are found throughout the growing season. Their active activity, appearance on the soil surface or on plants is timed to the transition of average daily temperatures through +50C. However, during this period, insects are still in wintering grounds.

In the forest-steppe zone in the third decade of April, the average daily temperature passes through +100C. At this time, some of the beetles from wintering places fly to the soils of winter, perennial grasses, to virgin areas.

In the first ten days of May, the average daily air temperature rises to 12.40C, and most of the lady beetles migrate to various plant groups. Of these, the most remarkable are: the edge of the bush, water meadows, perennial grasses, grain crops, forest belts of birch plantations.

An increase in the second decade of May of the average daily temperature to 14.40С enhances the activity and additional feeding of lady beetles. In the second decade of May, they begin to lay eggs, and by the end of the third decade, larvae emerge from the eggs. At the end of May - the first decade of June, larvae emerge, i.e. beetles of the overwintered generation begin to die off, and their number sharply decreases. By the end of the third decade of June, the larvae, having passed the pupal stage, have time to turn into adult beetles of the first generation. In late June - early July, the number of beetles on hayfields sharply decreases due to the removal of green mass. The second generation of the seven-spot ladybird appears in the second half of August, and the beetles leave for the winter. One can observe the mass reproduction of the seven-spot ladybug in the first generation. In the third decade of June, 20-50 times more larvae and beetles were noted than in ordinary years. This affected the increased number of beetles that left for wintering. On second-year clover crops, beetles occur during 7-8 spring-summer decades, i.e. from the second decade of April until harvesting for green

To a lesser extent, beetles were caught in other plant groups. So, on the alfalfa field of the second year of life, beetles were collected for six decades, and on the barley field and the edge of the bush - only in the second decade of July.

The body shape of a ladybug is rounded, strongly convex. The color is bright, shiny, as if "varnished". Their paws consist of four segments, but seem to be three-segmented, since their third segment is very small and inconspicuous. The small head is strongly retracted into the prothorax.

Bright coloring warns of their inedibility. From special pores in the joints of the legs, the beetle releases orange droplets of caustic hemolymph, which has an unpleasant odor.

Ladybug larvae live openly on plants. They are very mobile and are usually painted in a dark, often dirty green color with yellow or red patterns. Their body often bears various outgrowths, giving the larva bizarre outlines. Even more strange are the larvae hidden under a cap of loose, waxy secretions, reminiscent of the secretions of mealybugs.

name on wings

Sometimes they think: how many dots a cow has on its wings, how old it is. This belief is especially widespread among children. But this is not true. The dots are not about age, but about what species many of the cows belong to. A cow with two dots is called a two-dot, with five - a five-dot, with seven - a seven-dot. These three cows are especially common with us. They can be found anywhere: in fields, meadows, forests, gardens and orchards. But there are others: ten-point, eleven-point, twelve-point, etc.

There are so many of them, different cows! Now, when you see a cow, try it, count how many points it has, and find out what species it belongs to. In total, there are more than four thousand species of cows in the world!

These beetles are not all red. There are yellow, brown, different shades, bronze ... But all spotty: speckled, polka dot, with black and whitish squares - like a chessboard, with stains - like marble.

There are folk signs associated with a ladybug. If the caught ladybug flies away, then the weather will be clear, sunny, and if it sits on the ground, it will rain.

Why are these insects called cows?

And they are called cows because they know how to secrete "milk", however, not white, but orange.

Of course, in fact, this is not “milk” at all, but caustic and unpleasantly smelling blood. Because of her, neither birds nor lizards eat cows. And spiders, if the cows come across in their nets, rush to get rid of the tasteless prey - they break the threads and free the beetles. Cows are painted brightly to warn enemies: “We are inedible! Dont touch!"

migratory beetles

Entomologists have no doubt that ladybugs, like many butterflies and dragonflies, make long journeys in spring and autumn. Their migratory flocks were seen over different countries of Europe, Africa, Asia and America. Once they littered the streets of London like grits. In August 1952, a colossal flock of ladybugs invaded England from somewhere far away. Many beetles, as soon as they saw the shore above them, in exhaustion fell on the stones near the sea. The strait soon overwhelmed them, and for a long time after that the sea was painted near the shore with a reddish border of millions of beetles that died in the waves. This strip stretched for forty miles along the coast. Experts examined the beetles that died along the coast and decided that it was

The most common seven-spotted ladybugs.

Ladybug invasions have long been known to people. There are many stories about them in old books. One French scientist came across an old chapel in the mountains. It looked like it was made of red coral because it was covered in bugs. It turns out that from time to time the beetles gather in flocks and fly somewhere. Where to? It turns out that at the end of summer - the beginning of autumn, cows fly for the winter. And in the spring and early summer they come back. As if they are not bugs, but migratory birds.

In the middle of summer, you can also see flocks of cows. They wander in search of food - they are looking for places where there are a lot of aphids. Most often cows fly high, so that they are not visible from the ground. One scientist, in order to find out where the beetles were going, was forced to pursue them in a small plane. If a strong wind or rain interferes with movement, or the beetles have to fly over water for a long time, they get tired and try to land at the first opportunity to rest. That is why they are so often found on the banks of rivers, seas and lakes. But sometimes the beetles just by misfortune end up in the sea; a cruel wind leads them astray. Takes to meet death, sometimes even into the open ocean.

Where do cows winter?

Seven-spotted cows accumulate in large groups, guided by the smell, and flock to the edge of the forest. Here they can be found in early spring, when the snow melts. Look under last year's fallen leaves and you'll see seven-spotted ladybugs. That is why you can not burn dry grass at the edge of the spring. Sometimes, it happens, you walk along the fire, look under your feet, and suddenly the red elytra of a ladybug. Yes, there is a whole cemetery of beetles - they died at the place of their wintering.

Ladybugs do not always gather in large flocks for wintering. Small groups or solitary ladybugs can be found under the bark of old stumps. Cows fly out of their winter quarters in late spring, when aphids appear on the foliage - their favorite delicacy.

Ladybug development

Yellow shiny testicles are glued in clusters on the bottom of the leaves. After a few days, they will become almost transparent. And inside each you can see a small larva. She fidgets, fumbles there - wants to get out. And finally, the egg bursts. The larva begins to crawl out of it, first its head protrudes, then its chest, then its legs. But it's not so easy to get out of the egg! It will be a long time before the larva, now resting, then working hard again, is completely freed.

Thus begins the first life of a ladybug. The larva does not look like a beetle at all. The ladybug larva is seven-spotted, 3-15 mm long, painted in predominant light colors. Head with sinuous frontal sutures that start directly at its posterior margin or depart from a short median longitudinal suture. Mandibles with 1-2 apical teeth. There are two scutes on the top of the prothorax, i.e. one shield on the right and left halves of it. These scutes are divided into two parts by a membranous strip, so the number of scutes on the prothorax increases to four. Antennae are three-segmented. Body segments with various projections, projections, convex areas, and setae.

Spreading its long legs, moving its jaws, the larva runs along the leaves, along the stems, fumbles from right to left, arching its body. It is no longer yellowish, not light, but gray with red, orange, white spots all over the body.

How do the larvae grow? Ladybug larvae do not grow gradually, but as if in jerks. This is due to the properties of the "skins", i.e. outer cover of the larvae. The outer cover is not able to stretch. Larvae

They molt and shed their skins until the new skins harden and the larvae grow. This happens several times in a row. And if you watch the larvae during their growth, you can observe their molt. You can even calculate the daily ration of each larva. This is done very simply. Cow eggs are taken, placed in a certain vessel. After hatching, the larvae must be provided with a sufficient number of aphids. So, for the full development of the larva, about 1000 aphids are needed. The daily diet of an adult larva consists of 60-100 adult aphids or 300 larvae. The experiment showed that when the larvae are limited in food, they develop slowly, and with a sharp and prolonged restriction, they develop extremely slowly, completely stop developing, completely weaken, become melancholy, and if they are kept in such limited conditions in the future, this will lead to their inevitable death. The larva lives for three weeks. Such is the period of life of this amazing and, undoubtedly, beautiful larva of the seven-spotted ladybug. What will be next? Where will this larva go? Somewhere under a leaf, on a bark, on a grassy stalk, it will hang. And hangs not somehow, but upside down. Thus, it is attached to various objects with the back side of its body. In this position, the larva freezes. Hanging day, another ... It is extremely interesting to watch the last molt of a ladybug in the larva stage. It does not look like this last molt to the previous ones that were before. She is interesting for her uniqueness. At the initial stage of molting, the skin on the back of the hanging larva bursts, then gradually, slowly begins to creep up, i.e. to the posterior end of the body, gathering like an accordion.

And a milky-white chrysalis becomes visible. Yes, yes, this is already a chrysalis, which means that the second life of a ladybug begins - the life of a chrysalis.

Chrysalis life

She is strange, this life of a chrysalis. After all, the chrysalis is a completely immobile stage of development, without moving through bushes and grasses, without traveling, without hunting exploits and without any food at all. It seems that this motionless chrysalis is completely lifeless. But anyone who thinks so is deeply mistaken. In no case do not touch such a doll, you can examine it, but do not touch it. After all, life in it is the life of a new being, and although now it does not manifest itself in anything, in a week or two a wonderful bug will come out of it. As it hangs, the pupa darkens and becomes covered with yellow, orange, black spots. And then the "Skin" of the pupa burst. The beetle came into being. The ladybug began a third life!

True, this young beetle is not very similar to a cow. Its elytra are very light, and there is not a single, not a single dot on them. The beetle sits and does not move. Watching him at this time is interesting - you just need to be patient. And it will take a lot, given that the formation of a ladybug takes a long time. You have to sit near the cow for hours. This may seem like an infinity, and therefore not everyone succeeds. Sometimes, it happens that a whole day will pass before the beetle becomes the way we are used to seeing it.

Slowly, slowly, dark dots appear on his pale body. Gradually, the elytra themselves become brighter. But if the “failed beetle” is frightened, its color changes. The beetle becomes brightly colored. Such is the long and by no means easy path of development of the seven-spotted ladybug.

The practical meaning of the ladybug

Semenya with black legs, a ladybug hastily crawls up the stem. He climbs the first leaf he meets on the road, examines it - looking for aphids. Of course, prey does not always come across right away. Then the hunter scrambles to the next leaf. Then even higher, even more ... It happens that you are not at all lucky. Ladybugs only look so peaceful. In fact, they are predators.

Ladybugs are very useful insects. They save gardens from aphids. Aphids are famous for their fertility. Some cows eat 6-10 aphids a day. According to scientists, a beetle can eat 4,000 aphids in its lifetime. People have long understood that ladybugs are excellent helpers in the fight for the harvest. They even began to transport beetles from one region to another, from country to country, from mainland to mainland.

American gardeners began to catch ladybugs in the fall and release them to orange plantations in the spring. Three weeks later, none of them were seen. Where and why did they go? Every autumn they fly to the mountains. There, under stones, under fallen leaves, they hibernate in dry needles. They gather in many thousands. In the spring they wake up and fly to the valley. So that's why ladybugs released in the spring scatter in all directions: instinct prompts this.