Common Name:

   the ladybug is called a

                         ladybug

                         ladybird

                         ladybird beetle or

                         lady beetle

Scientific Class:

   a ladybug's scientific class is

                         insect or

                         insecta

Scientific Genus:

   the scientific genus of a ladybug is

                         hippodamia

Species of ladybugs:

   there are nearly 5,000 species of ladybugs, but some of the most common species are the

                         convergent lady beetle-common throughout North America, has 13 black spots 

                         multicolored asian lady beetle-live throughout USA and Canada, 0-20 spots

                         pink-spotted lady beetle-pinkish elytra with 10 spots and 2 spots on pronotum

                         seven-spotted lady beetle-7 black spots on elytra

                         twice-stabbed lady beetle-shiny black with two red spots on elytra

biome:

   countries:

                    almost worldwide but especially in warm climates

special adaptations:

                    eating a wide variety of foods

 

description:

   length:

                    1mm-10mm depending on the species

   body covering:

                    ecto skeleton; elytra

   other descriptions:

                    adult ladybugs are oval-shaped

                    usually yellow, orange, or scarlet, but can be black, gray, or brown

                    have a head, thorax, and abdomen

                    have six jointed legs

                    have two pairs of wings-the exoskeleton elytra and flying wings

   type of blood:

                    ectothermic or

                    cold-blooded

 

name of young:

                    larva

name of a group of ladybugs:

                         poo

related species:

                    scarab beetle

                    colorado potato beetle

                    ground beetle

type of eater:

                         insectivore

 what ladybugs eat:

                    aphids  

                    mealybugs

                    mites

                    scale insects

                    nectar

                    water

                    honeydew

                    plants

                    other soft-bodied insects food web.doc

How ladybugs capture food:

ladybugs capture food by active

                    ladybugs are a "flight" animal,

                    their bright colors warn predators that they are bad-tasting or poisonous

                    ladybugs also play dead, they do this by pulling their legs up, then they release a small amount of blood from their legs (the bad smell usually makes the ladybug look unappealing to the predator)

Symbiotic relationship:

                   a ladybug has a mutualism relationship with plants

                   in this symbiotic relationship the plants benefit by not being eaten by insects,

                   and the ladybugs benefit by eating the insects that had been eating the plants

forms of communication:

                    ladybugs use odor to signal other ladybugs to come

are ladybug endangered?

                    no, ladybugs are not endangered

stages of a ladybug:

   the stages of a ladybug go

                         egg

                         larva

                         pupa

                         adult

interesting facts:

                    one ladybug eats about 5,000 aphids in it's lifetime

                    ladybugs use their feet to smell

                    in the winter, ladybugs hibranate together in a tree or a pile of leaves

 

sources:

   books:

Gardening with Good Bugs by: Erin W. Hodgeson copyright: 2008 pages used: 53-63

The ladybug and other insects by: Gallimard Jeunesse and Sylviane Peyrols copyright:

1991 when it was first in the U.S.A. pages used: 25-28

   internet:

http://creatures.ifas,ufl,edu/benefician/lady_beetles,htm

http://www.ladybuglady.com/ladybugs FAQ.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2005-10-31-ladybugs-life_x.htm