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How I remember hearing that little jingle as a child! My brothers and I
used to play with the ladybugs. we would catch them and watch them for
long periods of time. One brother had this crazy idea of a race. LOL! That
idea was a waste. you never know where they will go. usually in circle or
ziz-zag instead of straight.
Ladybugs are all around us! Ladybugs can be found in
trees, shrubs, fields, beaches, and even houses!!! Inside houses, ladybugs
are often found on windows, light fixtures and ceilings. Ladybugs are
usually no bigger than 1/4 inch, and some can be really tiny!
Ladybugs are usually red, orange, or black in color. These colors are
means of protection. Birds know that insects that are red and black or
yellow and black usually sting or taste bad. It is thought that ladybugs
probably do taste bad to predators, and that they may even produce a
foul-smelling odor from a fluid from joints in their legs. Ladybugs, like
all insects, have six legs for walking, climbing, and grooming themselves.
At the end of each leg is a claw that helps the ladybug grip leaves and
stems.
Ladybugs have two antennae, which they use for touching and smelling
When threatened, ladybugs "play dead." Many predators will not eat an
insect that does not move, so this is another way that the ladybug
protects itself from danger.
Their favorite foods are two other kinds of insects, aphids and scale
insects. Aphids attack many kinds of plants . Scale insects attack the
trees in apple and orange orchards. Ladybugs keep those insects from
harming many plants.
When the weather begins to turn cold,
ladybugs look for shelter. During the winter, they rest quietly. The
resting time is called diapause
We know that ladybugs cannot sting,
but the birds do not. There are hundreds of different kinds all over the
world. There are about 350 different kinds in the United States
In recent year the US has had a problem with imported Asian orange
ladybugs, they were imported to kill other insects that were harming the
crops and have multiplied to an alarming rate. they do bite and can be a
nuisance. |