What do ladybugs eat and what are their benefits. Types of ladybugs, living conditions in nature and benefits What do black ladybugs eat

18.05.2020

Our beneficial insects , underestimated allies in pest control. And although they may, at first glance, seem very small, delicate and defenseless, in a short period of time they can destroy a surprising number of pests.

One of the most important beneficial insects in our country is a beetle called - ladybug(lat. Coccinellidae).

This small, brightly colored predatory beetle is the most numerous in our country and, under favorable conditions, can free many plants from annoying insects. Most pests eat ladybug larvae , before turning into an adult, can absorb from 400 to 3 thousand aphids. Adult ladybugs have a slightly smaller appetite, which eat more than 200 different insects daily.

The main food is, but ladybugs are not particularly fastidious and willingly take the opportunity to profit from psyllids, hymenopterous sawflies and horntails, mites, mealybugs and scale insects, or Diptera larvae. Such a serious ally cannot be ignored by us, so it is worth taking a closer look at him to create for him Better conditions for life, in our garden.

Types of ladybugs

ladybug each associates with a small insect with a bright red shell, with a few black dots. This is just one of his many images, since there are more than 5 thousand varieties of ladybugs in the world, of which we have more than seventy.

The most common are, of course, point to point (lat. Adalia bipunctata) and Seven dot (lat. Coccinella septempunctata), with a typical red shell for us, however, in addition to them, there are also insects with an orange-red shell and black dots - ten dot, (lat. Adalia decempunctata), red shell and black dots, with a yellow rim in a circle - Ocellated ladybird (lat. Anatis ocellata), black shell and yellow or red dots - Ladybug fourteen-spotted (lat. Coccinula quatuordecimpustulata), yellow or cream shell and black dots - Twenty-two-pointed cow , or psilbora , orange shell and cream dots - Calvia ten-spotted (lat. Calvia decemguttata).

Like adults, the larvae are also different from each other, while their appearance is not at all similar to either of the parents. ladybug larvae small, but at close range they look very scary, resembling small crocodiles or miniature monsters. Pupae in general can easily be confused with the Colorado potato beetle. In general, the body of the larva is sectioned, gray-black with yellow or orange spots, but there are species that have yellow larvae with black specks.

Due to their unusual appearance, ladybug offspring can often be mistaken for pests and destroyed. Therefore, before we decide on drastic measures, we should observe insects.

Interestingly, not all ladybugs known to us are predators, because some (eg. To about roving twenty-two-point),

can feed on fungi powdery mildew), and even plants (one of the few pests belonging to ladybugs - Ladybug alfalfa twenty-four-pointed I (lat. Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata).

Development life cycle of a ladybug

The development cycle of a ladybug is quite complex. An adult female, after fertilization, lays oblong, yellow-orange eggs. Attaching them to different parts plants, as a rule, closer to the source of nutrition, for example. . One female during a short life (about 1-1.5 years) can lay more than 1000 eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae, which then develop into pupae, and then into an adult ladybug (about 40-60 days pass from the moment the eggs are laid to the appearance of a mature insect in our climate).

In autumn, adult insects look for secluded and warm places where they can safely spend the winter. As a rule, they choose tree bark, stones, compost, heaps of leaves or needles, but sometimes they can also hide in window cracks or window sills, but in such a shelter they rarely manage to wait for spring, because, as a rule, they dry out.

Ladybug in the field.

The insect is independent and it is difficult to predict where it decides to settle, so if we want to have it in our garden, we should try a little. First of all, you can not use any chemical plant protection products in the country or choose those that are not harmful to ladybugs. In addition, it is worth allocating a small space in the garden in which we will not interfere (we stop mowing the grass, raking the leaves).

Thus, we create a favorable environment not only for ladybugs, but also for many useful insects, such as lacewings, spiders and ants, which in such a place can freely breed, develop and winter. If such a wild nook will spoil the view of the garden for us, you can close it with a decorative wooden fence or an original fence.

Remarkably, these inconspicuous insects also have their own secret weapon to protect themselves from enemies. Sensing danger, they secrete a yellow, unpleasant-smelling substance that should scare away the enemy.

reputation of our allies, last years was a little "stained", because of one of her relatives Harmonia axyridis, among the people - " And the Asian ladybug". It is more aggressive and multiplies faster than ours, "domestic", therefore it poses a great threat to them. It happens that the Asian ladybug bites people, causing an unpleasant burning sensation at the bite site, and sometimes allergies. And although this species is really annoying and alien to us, this should not affect the reputation of the whole genus, these beautiful and useful insects.

If you have something to add, please be sure to leave your comment.

Photo: Pavel Timofeev/Rusmediabank.ru

Probably, the ladybug is one of those insects that is well known to almost everyone. As a child, a red bug with spots was planted on the palm and sentenced: “Ladybug, fly to the sky And bring bread to the children.”

The bug crawled on the tip of his finger and, spreading his wings, took off.

After 6-7 days, larvae appear from the eggs - worms, painted in dark gray with a yellow or red pattern. After a while, the larvae begin to pupate and turn yellow.

After one or two weeks, a new bug emerges from the pupa, soft, pale in color. He sits still and waits. Dots begin to appear on the elytra, and the elytra harden. The bugs acquire their final color after about 3 days.

For some time, the elytra of the young beetle remain lighter than the elytra of adult insects.

The young beetle starts looking for food. The more aphids and other food, the more actively ladybugs breed.

Ladybug is a predatory insect and hunts.

The ladybug moves slowly, and where should she rush if she hunts sedentary insects that live in colonies and feed on plant sap.

The beetles are so arranged that, despite the presence of eyes, they do not see and do not smell prey. In order to eat it, ladybugs must stumble upon it and feel it with their palps.

The ladybug moves in a straight line, along a stem or leaf, until it encounters prey. Having eaten it, she looks for other insects nearby, for which she crawls from side to side, writing out zigzags.

Interestingly, aphids are often protected by forager ants that "milk" aphids and therefore protect them.

But, nevertheless, one ladybug eats at least hundreds of insects a day. Plus, it also destroys small caterpillars, their eggs and pupae of insect pests.

To get to the aphids of plants living on the roots, ladybugs burrow into the ground.

It's a pity that ladybugs don't like Colorado potato beetle eggs and only eat them if they can't find anything better.

Ladybugs eat molds, feast on plant pollen and drink. In drought and heat, they can gnaw out small pieces of green leaves to quench their thirst.

Ladybugs, just like migratory birds, gather in large flocks and fly away for wintering to warm countries in August-September, and return home in the spring.

Ladybugs fly at a very high altitude. They can't fly in the rain or strong wind, so they fall to the ground and wait for flying weather. It is said that during such forced stops, the ground is literally covered with swarming red dots of hundreds of thousands of ladybugs.

Unfortunately, many ladybugs are killed by flying over bodies of water. Exhausted beetles fall into the water and the waves carry them to the shore, where they form a wide red stripe at the water's edge. Few of the insects manage to get out, dry off in the wind and continue their difficult journey. Most of the insects die.

Ladybugs hibernate most often high in the mountains, hiding in cracks, crevices, under accumulations of dry foliage, under bark, under stones, moss, forming clusters consisting of 35 - 45 insects.

Such clusters allow ladybugs to maintain a higher temperature and safely survive the winter. Ladybugs do not hibernate on the plains.

Interestingly, ladybugs always winter in the same place. Scientists do not yet know how young individuals find their way to wintering, because ladybugs do not live long and the next generations go to winter every time.

Until spring, the bugs are in a state of stupor, and when the sun warms up, they scatter in different directions.

After returning from wintering, ladybugs first eat off, then they already begin to lay eggs.

Interestingly, ladybug larvae are no less voracious than adult insects and eat more than 600 aphids in just 20 days of their maturation. At the same time, the larvae continue to look for food even where adult insects have despaired of finding it.

Against other enemies, the ladybug uses a yellowish-orange liquid with a bitter taste and a pungent odor, which it squeezes out of the joints of the legs. This fluid is called hemolymph and is poisonous to most insects, birds and animals. Having grabbed the beetle, the predator, as a rule, releases it and no longer hunts the ladybug.

The bright color of the ladybug warns of the danger of those who want to eat it.

Sometimes a ladybug resorts to cunning and, having tucked her legs and antennae, pretends to be dead.

Ladybug must be carefully guarded by man.

In the fight against pests, the first to use ladybugs at the beginning of the last century were farmers in California. To do this, at the end of autumn, workers explored mountain forests and marked on the map the places where ladybugs gathered for the winter, calculated the approximate number of beetles.

And in winter, some kind of harvesters went to these places, who collected ladybugs in ordinary bags, packed them in boxes and sent them to customers. In the spring, ladybugs were released into gardens and fields.

But, alas, in 1936, chemicals began to be used to control pests.

However, if you wish, ladybugs can be successfully used in your country house or in your backyard.

This environmentally friendly method of pest control will not bring any harm, only benefit.
Little protectors in red-orange robes with black dots will save fruit and other trees from aphids.

One seven-spot ladybug destroys up to 150 aphids per day, and over 4 thousand adult aphids in a lifetime. More small species Ladybugs are destroyed by more than 60 aphids per day.

So our ancestors were right, the ladybug is an insect blessed by heaven and sent to people as a great gift.

Ladybug - insect - predator.

You can always find them not only in the village, but also in city parks and gardens.
Ladybug is completely safe for humans. You can put it on your hand, and it will warm itself with pleasure in your palm. According to ancient beliefs, the cow, scientifically called coccinellida, is directly connected with God, she lives in heaven and only occasionally descends to earth. At the same time, she plays the role of a real messenger, you can find out from her what the weather will be like, whether the harvest will be successful, etc.

They say that she was the wife of the god of thunder and as a result of a conflict with her husband she was turned into an insect along with her children, who became the days of the week and at the same time black dots on her scarlet outfit. The French now call her the animal of God, the Germans call her the sheep of God, the British call her the beetle of Our Lady. Yes, and we have it Ladybug.

Another, less well-known name is Moses' cow (and again, religious motives!). Moreover, the divinity of this small beetle is also emphasized in other cultures: in Germany it is called Marienkaefer (beetle of the Holy Virgin Mary), in England - Ladybird (Lady Bird, bird of the Virgin), in Argentina - St. Anthony's Cow.

Despite the idyllic name, this insect is a predator, which refers to all ladybugs in the middle lane. The basis of the menu of adult cows is made up of sedentary mass insects, which are easy to get: aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies and spider mites of various species. This preference is not accidental, because cows are very voracious and can eat up to 100-150 pieces of mites or aphids daily. Ladybug larvae feed exclusively on aphids, eating up to 60 (if adults) or 300 aphid larvae daily. Over the entire period of development of a ladybug, the number of aphids eaten by her is in the thousands.

Long, elongated ladybug larvae, a bit like small leeches, are often found in clusters of aphids, not far from the "generous table" ... Like adult relatives, they are inedible for birds, so they behave rather carelessly. Their invulnerability is indicated by bright orange or red spots on the discreet main background of the larva.

Ladybugs are very prolific, and the number of offspring is directly related to the amount of potential food. If usually one female lays 200-400 eggs, then in "feeding" years the number of eggs can reach 1500-1700!

Several ladybugs with their offspring may well clear a small garden plot of aphids. In addition, in the middle of summer, when there is less food, ladybugs may well diversify the “menu” with small caterpillars, herbivorous bugs and small beetle larvae, which is also valuable for gardeners and gardeners.

Among the exploits of ladybugs, we can recall the rescue of citrus plantations around the world, which are dying from the invasion of the Australian grooved mealybug, among the rescued plantations were citrus plantations of the then Soviet Caucasus. In addition, in the same Transcaucasia, a cow brought from Australia - Lindor keeps in check the scale insects that damage mulberry trees. One type of ladybug protects alfalfa fields from pests. It should also be mentioned that these insects are migratory, like birds, and are able to migrate to places that most need their presence. For the winter, they hide under stones or in other cozy places, often forming large clusters.

Due to their unpretentiousness, high fecundity, tolerance for the "society" of their own kind and very beneficial food specialization for people, ladybugs have become quite a popular object for biological protection in agriculture. It is possible that someday they will be bred in the same quantity as bees and silkworms are now bred.

The origin of the name "cow" is most likely associated with the biological feature of the bug: it can produce milk, and not ordinary, but red! Such a liquid is released in case of danger from the pores on the folds of the limbs.
Milk is extremely unpleasant in taste (and even deadly in large doses!) And scares off predators who see their potential dinner in a cow. The same task is performed by the bright coloring, which speaks of the inedibility of the winged ladybug. The protective "techniques" of the bug are very effective: even tarantula spiders do not feed on it!

There is still no consensus on the origin of the name ladybug. But the signs and legends associated with these winged bugs are alive to this day. Stepping on or harming a cow is a great sin. So, maybe there really is something divine in it?

What do ladybugs eat? Most of them are predators and eat other insects, many of which are considered serious plant pests. Ladybug is often called best friend gardener. They eat aphids, thus controlling the number of insect pests in the garden and replacing the use of chemical pesticides. Ladybug larvae also feed on aphids. They also eat other insects that have soft bodies - mites, whiteflies, scale insects and others.

Ladybug: life cycle

In the world there are more than 4000 species of these interesting representatives of the insect world (Latin name: Coccinellidea). What do ladybugs eat? Adults and larvae feed on soft-bodied pests, plant mites and egg pests. Most of all they love aphids! One individual usually eats more than 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. What is their life cycle? The female lays her eggs (5-20 pieces) on the leaves or stems of plants. After about a week, the eggs hatch into larvae that look like tiny crocodiles. Before becoming a pupa, the larva consumes 350 to 400 aphids.

The larvae go through several stages of maturation. After about a month, the larvae pupate, and a week later, young beetles appear. At this stage, they are quite different from the adults that people used to call ladybugs. Distinctive features are the speckles and bright color, which are needed in order to make them less attractive to any predators.

Average life expectancy in wild nature averages 2-3 years.
The length of the insect reaches, as a rule, 7-10 millimeters.
To clean its head and antennae, the ladybug uses its front legs.
In the process of growing up, the spots on the flaps become lighter.
The speed of the wings is approximately 85 times per second.
Breathing is carried out through the holes on the sides of the body.
A ladybug can hide its head in its torso under certain conditions.
The larvae grow very quickly and change their appearance 3 times.
In some countries, it is considered that they bring good luck.
When ladybugs feel threatened, they secrete a special yellowish liquid that smells bad and is toxic to other insects. This is their kind of defense mechanism. In some cases, they can even pretend to be dead.
They are welcome guests in any garden, as they feed on garden and garden pests.
Ladybugs will also live indoors.

What does a ladybug look like?

Some representatives have red elytra with black dots, orange, black with red dots, completely brown or black are also found in nature. The structure of the body includes the head, thorax and abdomen. There are a pair of antennae, a pair of compound eyes on the head, and six segmented legs that attach to the thorax. Under the thick hard elytra there is an additional pair of thin wings. Different species have different eating habits. What do ladybugs eat? In nature, there are predatory and herbivorous species. Vegetarians in the ladybug family feed on mushrooms and leaves. Some eat insects that eat plants (aphids, midges).

Defenders of crops and ornamental gardens

The ladybug is a member of a family that includes thousands of species of insects. When people hear the words "ladybug" they think of bright red beetles with black spots, although these beneficial insects can be different colors both with and without stains. What do ladybugs eat? They live in gardens all over the world and they are often welcome as they eat agricultural pests and other small insects.

Males and females of many species are very similar, only biologists can tell them apart. What do ladybugs eat? As a rule, after spring mating, they produce large clutches of eggs, which are located next to a colony of aphids and other small insects. When the larvae hatch, they can feed on insects until they are large enough to fly and feed on their own.

Are there poisonous ladybugs?

Ladybugs are not poisonous to humans. However, they can be toxic to some animals because they have bad smell which deters some predators. A deterrent is also a certain color. In nature, red and orange colors are a warning of potential danger and show other animals that they should look for someone else for their dinner or lunch.

In general, ladybugs do not cause significant damage, but in people who are sensitive to foreign odors, they can cause an allergic reaction. What do ladybugs eat at home? The good news is that they do not eat anything in winter, they are indifferent to building materials, wood and clothing, and do not lay eggs inside the house.

Where do ladybugs winter?

Ladybug can be found on plants that serve as food for aphids. It can be plants such as mustard, buckwheat, coriander, clover, dandelion and others. For wintering, warmer and secluded corners, cracks and bark of trees are chosen, they can huddle in lowlands or at high altitudes, under fallen leaves, in crevices, small cracks in houses, stones, mainly on the sunny side, and so on. In winter, ladybugs escape the cold air by hiding under a layer of fallen leaves in the forest. Surprisingly, some species can survive at minus 20 °C.

As soon as ladybugs enter the house, they begin to secrete special pheromones that attract other relatives. Pheromones are used as a means of communication during mating and hibernation. Such peculiar "spirits" in insects are very powerful, they can be detected at a distance of up to 500 meters from the place of their application. This helps insects find each other and allows future generations to learn about good location for wintering. Ladybugs gather in groups when they hibernate.

The question may arise about what ladybugs eat at home? What is known is that they do not eat fabric, plants, paper, or any other household items. During hibernation, they live off their own accumulated reserves. They also prefer humidity, but the house is usually not very humid in winter, and they use every opportunity to get water for themselves, otherwise dehydration may occur. Thus, answering the question of what ladybugs eat in winter, one can answer that they use nothing, or rather, they use their accumulated energy reserve. With the onset of spring, the surviving cows, as a rule, leave the dwelling.

Ladybug is known to everyone. Even in ancient times, people noticed that where this bright red, large-speckled beetle lives, the harvest is always good. This is not surprising, because the ladybug is the "orderly" of the garden, eating pests.

Description

These beetles from the Coleoptera order are found in almost all climatic zones of the world. There are almost 4,000 species on the planet; 221 species of these insects live only on the territory of our country.

Ladybugs vary in size, body shape, elytral color, and number of spots. So, shades can vary from yellow and orange to poisonous red. These bright colours are protection against insects. birds of prey and other insects.

Contrary to popular belief, the number of points on the wings does not depend on the age of the beetle, but only on the species.

The life span of a ladybug is 1-2 years. During this time, the insect goes through 4 stages:

egg;
larva;
chrysalis;
and imago is an adult insect.

During spring and summer, the ladybug eats off, accumulating supplies for wintering. With the onset of cold weather, she falls into hibernation, and in the spring those individuals who were able to survive the winter lay 1-2 dozen eggs and die before hatching a new generation.

The scientific name of the ladybug sounds like “Coccinellidae”, or “Coccinellid”, but much more often this insect useful for the gardener is called differently: “beetle of the Holy Virgin Mary”, “beetle of St. Anthony”, “Sunny”. And in Tajikistan, he is respectfully called "Red-bearded grandfather." These names best show how gardeners appreciate this bright bug.

What does a ladybug eat on the street

In the wild, garden aphids form the basis of the diet of almost all Coccinellid species. This is what turns bright spotted insects into real saviors of greenhouses and garden farms. The ladybug eats aphids that infect plants, preventing these pests from destroying crops.

They also eat spider mites and other insects that do not have a hard shell:

scale insects;
psyllids;
worms;
and others.

In regions in which, for some reason, the ladybug population has been destroyed, pests can destroy almost the entire crop of individual crops - as, for example, happened in countries where the Australian pest, the mealybug, was introduced. Many gardeners are concerned about what ladybugs eat besides aphids and mites.

There is a common myth that the ladybug larva eats the leaves of beans, peas and other legumes. In fact, this is not entirely true: most species of these beetles are carnivorous insects, and they eat exclusively live food.

Almost all representatives that feed on plants (the so-called phytophages) live in the countries of Southeast Asia and Latin America. In Russia, there are only three ladybugs that can be classified as garden pests:

alfalfa ladybug, common in southern Russia and feeding on sugar beet and alfalfa leaves;
28-spot coccinellid, often destroying plantings of tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables in the Far East;
and a pitted species of these insects, found in the central part of Russia - its food, along with aphids, can be leaves of clover, alfalfa, sweet clover and some other plants.

The food of an adult insect is almost the same as that of a ladybug larva. The difference lies in the amount of food. So, for 3 weeks, each face eats from 7 to 10 thousand aphids and other insects. Herbivorous species during this period also absorb food several times more than an adult ladybug.

What does a ladybug eat at home

It happens that due to the sharply onset of cold weather, the “garden orderlies” do not have time to find shelter for hibernation. Their chances of surviving until spring in such situations are very small; the exception is when people pick up beetles. They can easily survive in the house, and care for them is quite simple.

The list of what ladybugs eat at home is small. Finding aphids or spider mites in winter is unrealistic, so the choice of food for the insect remains small:

sweetened water;
honey diluted in water;
phytophagous cows can also be given raisins, bean, cucumber, tomato and other leaves. vegetable crops.

However, they only need food for the first few days. Perfect option- feed the beetles and place them in a cool place, for example, between window frames, where they can sleep peacefully until warm time.

Ladybugs are an insect that is completely harmless to humans, and for agriculture it is the best friend at all. This garden pest population controller is essential to the existence of any ecosystem. Even those species that can threaten vegetable plants are necessary in nature, and it is better not to destroy them unnecessarily.

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

Life cycle of ladybugs

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 full life new generation, 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 them from the body. a large number of water, so that when cold weather sets in and the body cools down, it does not burst from 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 on your garden plot, 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. Don't do it in hard frost so that the temperature drop 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 creating optimal conditions for the residence of an insect, put more straw and dry leaves in a container, mixing loosely with each other, so that artificial cracks are created, which 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 lid from plastic bottle. This food is a treat for the ladybug. Apart from sweet water these beetles are fed raisins and pieces 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 transparent plastic containers, make very small holes in the lid, or cover with gauze or mosquito net 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.

Ladybug: life cycle

The larvae go through several stages of maturation. After about a month, the larvae pupate, and a week later, young beetles appear. At this stage, they are quite different from the adults that people used to call ladybugs. Distinctive features are spots and bright color, which are needed in order to make them less attractive to any predators.

The average lifespan in the wild is 2-3 years on average.
The length of the insect reaches, as a rule, 7-10 millimeters.
To clean its head and antennae, the ladybug uses its front legs.
In the process of growing up, the spots on the flaps become lighter.
The speed of the wings is approximately 85 times per second.
Breathing is carried out through the holes on the sides of the body.
A ladybug can hide its head in its torso under certain conditions.
The larvae grow very quickly and change their appearance 3 times.
In some countries, it is considered that they bring good luck.
When ladybugs feel threatened, they secrete a special yellowish liquid that smells bad and is toxic to other insects. This is their kind of defense mechanism. In some cases, they can even pretend to be dead.
They are welcome guests in any garden, as they feed on garden and garden pests.
Ladybugs will also live indoors.

What does a ladybug look like?

Some representatives have red elytra with black dots, orange, black with red dots, completely brown or black are also found in nature. The structure of the body includes the head, thorax and abdomen. There are a pair of antennae, a pair of compound eyes on the head, and six segmented legs that attach to the thorax. Under the thick hard elytra there is an additional pair of thin wings. At different types- different eating habits. What do ladybugs eat? In nature, there are predatory and herbivorous species. Vegetarians in the ladybug family feed on mushrooms and leaves. Some eat insects that eat plants (aphids, midges).

Defenders of crops and ornamental gardens

The ladybug is a member of a family that includes thousands of species of insects. When people hear the words "ladybug" they think of bright red beetles with black spots, although these beneficial insects can come in a variety of colors, with or without spots. What do ladybugs eat? They live in gardens all over the world and they are often welcome as they eat agricultural pests and other small insects.

Are there poisonous ladybugs?

Ladybugs are not poisonous to humans. However, they can be toxic to some animals as they have an unpleasant odor that deters some predators. A deterrent is also a certain color. In nature, red and orange colors are a warning of potential danger and show other animals that they should look for someone else for their dinner or lunch.

Where do ladybugs winter?

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As soon as ladybugs enter the house, they begin to secrete special pheromones that attract other relatives. Pheromones are used as a means of communication during mating and hibernation. Such peculiar "spirits" in insects are very powerful, they can be detected at a distance of up to 500 meters from the place of their application. This helps the insects find each other and lets future generations know about a good place to overwinter. Ladybugs gather in groups when they hibernate.

Description

Ladybugs vary in size, body shape, elytral color, and number of spots. So, shades can vary from yellow and orange to poisonous red. These bright colors are insect protection from birds of prey and other insects.

Contrary to popular belief, the number of points on the wings does not depend on the age of the beetle, but only on the species.

The life span of a ladybug is 1-2 years. During this time, the insect goes through 4 stages:

egg;
larva;
chrysalis;
and imago is an adult insect.

What does a ladybug eat on the street

They also eat spider mites and other insects that do not have a hard shell:

scale insects;
psyllids;
worms;
and others.

There is a common myth that the ladybug larva eats the leaves of beans, peas and other legumes. In fact, this is not entirely true: most species of these beetles are carnivorous insects, and they eat exclusively live food.

alfalfa ladybug, common in southern Russia and feeding on sugar beet and alfalfa leaves;
28-spot coccinellid, often destroying plantings of tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables in the Far East;
and a pitted species of these insects, found in the central part of Russia - its food, along with aphids, can be leaves of clover, alfalfa, sweet clover and some other plants.

What does a ladybug eat at home

The list of what ladybugs eat at home is small. Finding aphids or spider mites in winter is unrealistic, so the choice of food for the insect remains small:

sweetened water;
honey diluted in water;
phytophagous cows can also be given raisins, leaves of beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetable crops.

However, they only need food for the first few days. The ideal option is to feed the beetles and place them in a cool place, for example, between window frames, where they can sleep peacefully until the warm season.

The botanical name for this colorful insect is Coccinellidae. The beetle differs from most garden inhabitants in its attractive appearance. At the sight of it, a person does not have an instinctive desire to crush or slam, and even the name indicates a loyal attitude. And rightly so, because adults feed on garden pests. But this is not all that ladybugs eat: there are also herbivores among them.

Insect characteristic

There is no consensus on the origin of the name. Interestingly, on different languages it means only good things, such as a calf, a sheep, the sun, a red-bearded grandfather. The length of the cow's body ranges from 4 mm to 1 cm. The body is elongated-oval or almost round. The back is very convex, the abdomen is flattened. Hairs grow on the lower surface of the body, but not in all species. The body is divided into such parts:

abdomen;
chest, including 3 sections;
head;
pronotum;
6 paws;
elytra;
wings.

The structure of the pronotum is transverse, with a notch in the anterior part. The head is fixed and small, the eyes are very large relative to the body, bulging. Movable antennae consist of 8-10 segments. Spots are often present on the anterior margin of the pronotum, as well as on the head. The type of coloration differs in different species, and there are beetles with a plain back.

It is impossible to say unequivocally which group of insects the ladybug belongs to, because among its species there are predators, phytophages and omnivores.

The middle and front of the chest are extended across the body, and the back is almost square. All paws of the beetle are of medium length and look proportional in relation to the body. Each limb consists of one hidden and three explicit segments. An adult individual moves at high speed, using blades of grass, leaves, soil and other surfaces as a support. The abdomen is divided into 6 segments, covered with rigid semirings (sternites).

The hind wings are designed for flight, and the front wings have evolved into elytra during evolution. Their task is to cover the main pair while the beetle does not fly, but crawls. From birds and small animals that feed on insects, beetles defend themselves by releasing a poisonous liquid with a nasty pungent odor. The bright color also contributes to the fact that larger insects, as well as birds, are afraid to taste it. Color options:

dark purple;
brown;
bright burgundy;
brown;
dark orange and others.

The spots are most often black, gray-white, reddish-brown or saturated. They can be round, square or shapeless. In some species, females and males have a different pattern.

Common types

The family to which the brightly colored beetle belongs includes 7 subfamilies and about 4 thousand species. Several of them are found in the gardens of our country, the rest are more or less common on different continents. Varieties of greatest interest to gardeners:

Habitat

The cow lives in all climatic zones and on every continent except Antarctica. The beetle cannot survive only where all year round sub-zero temperatures are maintained. For example, it is not high in the mountains, where snow lies all the time. Countries with the most species: Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, France, Poland, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, Mongolia, India, Korea, China.

More often, the insect settles on crops covered with aphids, but sometimes it chooses reeds, sedges and young reeds as habitats. There are species that prefer to settle in field plants. Some prefer the shores of reservoirs, others need a shady, but not waterlogged area.

For most of their lives, insects live in isolation. You can see many individuals together only during wintering, migration or mating season. Although the beetle tolerates cold, it is a heat-loving insect. In the warm season, it prefers the climate of temperate latitudes, and during the cold season, some subspecies move to other countries. Life expectancy in such species reaches 2 years, and with a lack of nutrition - even less.

There are sedentary insects that gather in colonies of up to 40 million for the winter. One such community can weigh 2-3 tons. Hiding from the cold and huddled together, insects survive severe frosts. During the winter, many die, but the main part of the colony comes out of hibernation in the spring. Finding where ladybugs winter in the garden is not difficult: they usually choose places between stones, plant debris, and foliage.

Food in the wild

Under natural conditions, insects feed various types aphids. This pest is dangerous for both cultivated and wild herbs, trees and shrubs. Beetle in bright dots - real helper gardeners. By destroying the pest colonies, it makes it possible to use pesticides and insecticides in smaller quantities, and sometimes do without chemistry at all. Except aphids, everything is food insects that do not have a hard chitinous shell:

worms;
psyllids;
scale insects;
ticks.

If, for some reason, the population of cows in a particular region decreases greatly, the pests begin to multiply intensively, since the deterrent factor disappears. In this case, mass destruction of crops occurs. If you do not take action in time, you can be left without a crop of many crops. The relationship between species is of great importance for a biological system, and we should not forget about it.

The natural balance can also be disturbed for other reasons, as happened in the countries of Europe. By chance, a grooved mealybug was brought in, and the number of beneficial insects was insufficient to cope with the pest. At home, in Australia, this species does not harm cultivated plants, since there are a lot of rhodolia there - cows no larger than a match head. Scientists urgently had to import rhodolia from Australia. This measure helped save the orange orchards.

Of those species that feed on both plants and insects, three most common in Russia:

Pointless. An omnivorous insect that eats both pests and sweet clover, alfalfa, clover and some other herbs.
Coccinellid twenty-eight-spotted. It eats aphids, mites, scale insects, worms, as well as planting cucumbers, potatoes, and tomatoes. Often found in the Far East.
Alfalfa. It feeds on garden pests, alfalfa and sugar beet leaves.

Larvae and adults use the same food, but in different quantities. For 3 weeks, the larva eats up to 7 thousand aphids, and the adult cow - several times more. In turn, the volume of food consumed by herbivorous insects is several times higher than that consumed by a predator cow.

Diet at home

A beneficial insect can get into the house by accident, for example, often people bring it on clothes or with crops. It also happens that the beetle sneaks into the dwelling, fleeing the cold and hunger. An adult can survive in a house if it is fed and provided with calm conditions. The best food for a beetle is a spider mite or aphid, but if there are no pests on the flowers, you should not specifically breed them. Here's what ladybugs eat at home:

natural honey diluted in water;
sweetened water;
slices of raisins, bean, pea, tomato, cucumber leaves (suitable for phytophages).

It is interesting for children to watch how the bug eats. In the first days after the insect enters the house, it needs to be fed, and then no longer. You should find a cool place for the cow and put it there. The right temperature for a match is between the window frames. There, the beetles can sleep peacefully until spring. In the house, the insect will not bring any harm, and in the spring it can be released into the garden.

It is important to know: both insectivorous and herbivorous cows are useful for the ecosystem, and you should not destroy them unnecessarily. The child should also be explained that killing insects is bad.

Reproduction and life cycle

At the age of 3-6 months, the beetles become sexually mature. Mating begins in the spring, shortly after emerging from hibernation. The female secretes a liquid, the smell of which attracts males. Beetles choose a place for eggs where there are aphid colonies in order to provide offspring with food. The clutch usually contains 400 oval-shaped eggs, orange, yellow or white.

In 10-15 days, the ladybug develops into a larva. Juveniles have the same coloration as adults. First, they feed on the shell of the eggs from which they hatch, as well as dead embryos. After a few days, they begin to eat aphids, and after 5-7 weeks they pupate. Part of the cover of the larva is preserved, and with these remnants the pupa is attached to the leaf. The last stage is the formation of all parts of the body, after which the beetles hatch. Takovo short description life cycle.

Thanks to the voracity of larvae and adult cows, farmers in many countries of the world can get by with fewer chemical treatments or not use insecticides at all. interesting way field processing - spraying of adult insects from airplanes and helicopters. For this, ladybugs are bred on special farms. Thus, most species are only beneficial. Bright insects that damage crops live mostly in countries with a tropical and subtropical climate, and are rare in Russia.

AT various countries this bug is called differently, but in its name the deep respect of the people for a small insect always comes through. 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 in 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, to stock up on nutrients until the larva finds its main food - eggs, larvae or adult aphids. Moreover, in their search, 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.

Ladybugs are among the most recognizable insects on the planet. They deserve it thanks to the bright color. By drawing attention to their life, they showed that people are simply needed, especially now, and here's why.

Where does it live and what does it eat

Unpretentious to the climate, the creature has spread throughout the world, with the exception of permafrost zones. In some states of America, these insects were even specially imported for 3 years, and all because they are unsurpassed helpers in pest control. Despite their friendly appearance, cows are merciless predators. The main delicacy for them is aphids. During its not very long life (up to 2 years), each specimen eats more than 1000 of them, but the diet does not end there. Ladybugs also eat spider mites, worms, whiteflies, scale insects, psyllids and their larvae, sometimes even attack caterpillars and butterflies. This is the main value of these beetles. The fields under such protection do not require chemical treatment, which means that the harvest will be environmentally friendly, which is very much in demand in our time.

There are a few species of herbivorous cows that feed only on certain plants, and some of them are happy to eat crops of potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetable crops. They are found in the Far East and Central Asia. But these are isolated cases, the vast majority bring only benefits.

It turns out that at home, a ladybug is able to feel great. To do this, it is enough to equip her own house and provide food. A plastic container or jar can serve as a shelter, the main thing is that there is good ventilation and humidified air (sometimes spray water inside). Lay grass and branches at the bottom, prevent the appearance of mold, for this, constantly update them. It is impossible to get direct sunlight, this will lead to death. In winter, she usually hibernates and does not require much care.

What to feed

In captivity, when there is no way to find "live" food, sweets can be offered:

fresh fruits and candied fruits
dried fruits
sugar
jam
honey

You do not need to leave a large amount of food, but the water should be constantly, for this, pour a few drops into the bottle cap or wet a cotton pad.

Although this insect can live in captivity, it’s still not worth taking away its right to freedom, it is designed to benefit a person, so be it.