Are All Ladybugs Ladies and Other Q/A

Few insects are as charming and instantly recognizable as the ladybug. With their bright colors, intricate markings, and itty-bitty faces, ladybugs have achieved celebrity-status amongst entomologists and nature-lovers alike. However, any curious person would have to ask the question: why do we refer to them as ladybugs? That answer (and more) may be more surprising than you think!

Are All Ladybugs Ladies?

When pests began to ravage crops across 15th-century Europe, farmers prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary to save them. You can imagine their surprise when an array of small but brightly colored beetles appeared on their fields, consuming the pests and sparing the crops in their wake. The farmers were in awe of these beetles. They named them Ladybirds, or Ladybugs, to honor Lady Mary and the insects who aided them.

Whether or not this story is true, there is a glaring downside. People now assume that all ladybugs are ladies! Despite their name, ladybugs can be male or female. The genders are not easy to differentiate, being similar in appearance, but female ladybugs tend to be bigger, redder, and more spotted than their male counterparts.

What Do Ladybugs Eat?

Remember those pests I talked about before who were the bane of every European farmer? Those pests were most likely aphids- little green insects with a voracious appetite for plants.

Unfortunately for aphids, there's an insect even hungrier than they are: ladybugs!

Aphids are a dinner-time favorite for ladybugs. A single ladybug can eat up to 50 aphids a day. This means a ladybug can eat over 30,000 aphids in its life! Aphids aren't the only thing ladybugs like to eat, either. Other agricultural pests, like mites, fruitflies, and mealybugs, all find their way on a ladybug's menu.

A ladybug's inclination to consume pests provides a natural form of pest control that benefits farmers and the environment. Thanks for your dedication to snacking, ladybugs!

Do All Ladybugs Have Spots?

The classic ladybug is pictured with spots, but some species have stripes, and others still have no markings at all. Perhaps even more surprising is that ladybugs come in an array of colors. That's right! While we are quick to recognize the red Seven-Spot Ladybug, there is also the yellow-shouldered Ladybug, the Pink Spotted Ladybug, the Ashy Gray Ladybug, and the Steelblue Ladybug. Talk about variety!

These flashy colors aren't just for aesthetic purposes either. A ladybug's bright colors signal to predators, "Hey! Eat me and you'll regret it later, buddy!" This kind of coloration, which wards against hungry predators, is called aposematism.

Where Do Ladybugs Go in the Winter?

Ladybugs are a telltale sign of warmer days ahead. But where do they go when the weather turns cold? Like most insects, ladybugs spend the winter hibernating- a state of inactivity where the body temperature, metabolic rate, and heart rate of an animal decreases.

Being critters that hibernate, ladybugs will find a cozy place to shelter, like under logs or plant debris, until the weather warms again. You might even find ladybugs sheltering in your house!

Are Ladybugs a Sign of Good Luck?

Like most insects, ladybugs have their share of stigmas and haters. To those people, I'd say they're severely missing out! Ladybugs are not only critically important to the environment but have historically been viewed as signs of good luck.

One myth says that if a ladybug lands on you, the number of spots on its back will determine your number of years of good luck. Other folklore says that ladybugs are signs of blessed unions, renewal, and protection. Neat!

How Can I Attract Ladybugs?

Have a pest problem? Need some fortune in your life? Ladybugs can help! To attract these helpful little insects, try planting the following:

~Nasturtium

~Marigold

~Yarrow

~Cosmos

~Chives

~Dill

~Sweet alyssum

~Milkweed

~Yarrow

Don't forget to keep some water sources nearby!

To all the lucky little ladybugs out there, fly on.