Who doesn’t love a ladybug? The little red bugs are so beloved because they are beneficial predators, cheerfully chomping on garden pests such as aphids. But ladybugs aren’t really bugs at all. They belong to the order Coleoptera, which includes all of the beetles. Europeans have called these dome-backed beetles by the name ladybirds, or ladybird beetles, for over 500 years. In America, the name “ladybug” is preferred; scientists usually use the common name lady beetle for accuracy.
- Not all ladybugs are black and red. Although those are the most common.
- Ladybug defenses include bleeding knees and bright colors.
- Ladybugs were named after the Virgin Mary after prayers from farmers resulted in the appearance of these brightly dotted beetles to battle the pests ravaging crops.
- Ladybug larvae resemble tiny alligators.
- Ladybugs eat.. a lot! more than 50 aphids each per day.
- Ladybugs could help redesign the umbrella!
Hadley, Debbie. “10 Fascinating Facts About Ladybugs.” ThoughtCo, Feb. 11, 2020, thoughtco.com/fascinating-facts-about-ladybugs-1968120.