The ladybirds, animals of the family Coccinellidae, are known all over the world for their round and reddish bodies, full of beautiful black dots. There are many types of ladybugs and each has unique physical characteristics and curiosities. You want to know what they are?
In this article by Animal Expert, we will talk about the different species of ladybugs that exist, mentioning the most popular ones, with names and photographs. We’ll also explain if ladybugs sting, how to know their age and whether they swim. Read on and find out all about ladybugs!
- Ladybugs are beetle insects.
- I.
- E.
- Beetles with a colored shell and dots.
- Usually black.
- This coloration serves to warn predators that their taste is unpleasant and.
- In addition.
- Ladybugs secrete a pestillent yellow substance when they feel threatened.
In this way, the ladybirds warn anyone who wants to eat them that it is better to take the opportunity to hunt something else, because they will not be so appetizing in the mouth. They also use other techniques, such as killing to go unnoticed and stay alive. As a result, ladybugs have few predators. Only a few large birds or insects dare to eat them.
In general, they range from 4 to 10 millimeters and weigh about 0.021 grams. These insects live almost everywhere on Earth, as long as there is abundant vegetation. They go out during the day to develop their vital activities, easily visible on the leaves, and when night falls they sleep. In addition, during the cold months, they perform hibernation processes.
In its appearance, in addition to its colorful “dresses”, its large thick and foldable wings stand out. It should be noted that these beetles undergo significant changes throughout their lives as they go through metamorphosis processes. Eggs with larvae, then larvae to adult ladybugs.
Ladybirds are carnivorous animals, so they usually feed on other insects, such as armadillos, caterpillars, mites and, above all, aphids. This makes these beetles a natural insecticide. They naturally clean parks and pest gardens like aphids, without the need for toxic products for the environment.
As for their behavior, ladybugs are solitary insects that spend their time looking for food resources. However, despite this independence, the ladybugs gather to hibernate and protect themselves from the cold.
There are many types of ladybugs, in fact, about 5,000 species. Yellow, orange, red or green, with all kinds of prints and even without them. The variety is immense. Then we’ll talk about some of the most common ladybug species:
This species is one of the most popular, mainly in Europe. With seven black dots and red wings, this beetle is located where there are aphids, such as gardens, parks, natural spaces, etc. In addition, this type of ladybug is distributed in a wide variety of places around the world. However, the largest variety is found in Europe, Asia and North America.
This ladybug stands out in Western Europe and is characterized by having only two black dots on its red body. It should be noted that there are black specimens with four red dots, although they are very difficult to see in nature. Like many other ladybug species, the colon is used in many places to control pest aphids.
A bright yellow color differentiates it from the others, at the same time presenting a large number of dots, exactly 22, black, legs and antennae of a darker yellow and slightly smaller than the others, from 3 to 5 millimeters. Instead of eating aphids, this ladybug feeds on fungi that appear on the leaves of many plants. Therefore, their presence in gardens should warn that plants have fungi, which can greatly weaken a garden.
This ladybug is distinguished by its bright black color with red, orange or yellow dots, some larger than others. However, the color is quite variable and can change over time. It also feeds mainly on aphids and other insects and is distributed throughout most of Europe.
This beautiful ladybug measures between 5 and 6 millimeters in oval shape, and has six dark spots on its pink, red or orange wings, and two large triangular black dots on the back of the head. Endemic in North America, this species is abundant in crops and green spaces, where aphids abound because they are large predators of these insects and other insects and arachnids, such as mites.
Here is a list of 14 curiosities about the types of ladybugs that exist:
Did you also know that ladybugs are part of the bearded dragon diet? That’s right, ladybugs feed various species of reptiles, such as the bearded dragon.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Curiosities section of the animal world.