There is hardly a man who has never seen ladybugs. Many of us in childhood caught these harmless insects. After reading this article, you will learn what the ladybug eats and how it breeds.
Variety of species
Today, science knows more than four thousand varieties of these insects. They live in almost all corners of our planet. Many of them have a spherical body, covered with orange, yellow or red elytra, decorated with stripes or dots. Contrary to popular belief, the number of the latter does not at all indicate the age of the bug. Those who want to understand how the ladybug breeds will also be interested to know that the color of insects does not depend on the number of years lived - it is predetermined at the genetic level and remains unchanged throughout the short life of the beetle. By the way, the size of the insect is also not an indicator of age. The value does not mean that the ladybug is older, this means that the larva was starving and did not develop properly.
Despite the huge variety of existing species, in our country, only one of the most common is the seven-spotted ladybug, which can be recognized by the red elytra. On each of them there are three black spots, and one common is located on the scutellum (pronotum).
Structural features
The sizes of these insects range from four to ten millimeters. They have an elongated-oval or round body with a strongly convex back. Those who do not know how the ladybug reproduces will be interested in the fact that the surface of some species of these insects is covered with thin hairs.
The body of the bugs consists of a small head, pronotum, chest, abdomen and wings with elytra. In addition, each individual has three pairs of legs. As a protection against predators, they use cantharidin. This poisonous, unpleasantly smelling yellow liquid repels birds and other potential enemies from insects.
Depending on the type of insect, its elytra can be brown, dark blue, black, bright yellow or saturated red. Some of them have spots of different shades and configurations. Others have no patterns at all. And the seven-spotted ladybug is therefore named because it has seven spots on the back.
Where and how do these insects live ?
Ladybugs live in almost all climatic zones, with the exception of regions that are covered with eternal snow. They can be seen in Poland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland, Great Britain and in many other states. Some insects settle on field grasses, others on sedge and reeds, while others inhabit plants on which aphid colonies develop.
All ladybugs lead a solitary lifestyle. They come together only during the wintering or mating season. Representatives of some species go to winter in countries with a more favorable climate, while others remain to wait out the cold, having lost in numerous groups consisting of several million individuals. They hide from the cold under the bark and between the roots of trees. The average life span of these insects is only one year. With a shortage of food - this time is reduced to several months.
What do ladybugs eat?
Representatives of almost all species are considered predators. The basis of their diet is mites and aphids. They do not disdain dolls of other insects, eggs of butterflies and small caterpillars.
However, in nature there are also such species that feed exclusively on plants. These insects consume flowers, leaves, pollen and even mushroom mycelium. Those who are interested in what the ladybug larva eats , it will be useful to find out that the aphid is the basis of its diet. So, one individual per day can destroy up to 600 pests.
Reproduction of offspring
Discussing the topic “When and how ladybug breeds”, it is worth noting that this process has been going on since the beginning of March, with one mating of insects sometimes lasting up to 9 hours in a row. The female can lay five to three hundred yellow eggs with an elongated shape. For masonry, she selects a large cluster of aphids, since the number of offspring depends on this.
A week later, larvae with well-developed jaws hatch from the eggs. They are very voracious and eat a huge amount of aphids. The larvae themselves have a disgusting taste, so almost no one hunts them. After another ten to fifteen days, a ladybug pupa appears from the larva, which is attached to the leaves of the plants using the remains of the exo-skeleton. After another two weeks, during which the laying of all the characteristic parts of the body occurs, it turns into a fully formed adult.
A young insect can be recognized by its pale color and lack of pattern. Over time, the back of a ladybug acquires a rich shade, and the corresponding pattern appears on it. In general, the duration of the full cycle of development and transformation is from four to seven weeks.