Facts about ladybugs

They are known under two main names–ladybugs in North America, and ladybirds in other English-speaking countries, including Great Britain–but the most accurate names are lady beetles or ladybird beetles.

They chew their food, while bugs’ diet is mostly liquid. Moreover, they undergo a complete metamorphosis, while bugs remain the same their entire life.

Legend has it that in the Middle Ages, a group of farmers was devastated by aphids destroying their crops, so they prayed to the Virgin Mary for help. On the next day, the ladybugs appeared out of nowhere and ate all the aphids. From that day, the farmers started calling these little insects “Our Lady’s beetles.”

The most common is red with seven black dots.

They were introduced to North America in the mid-1900s in order to control the aphid population.

They are well-loved by farmers because they protect their crops from pests.

They are known for laying both fertile and infertile eggs. The reason is that it rises the chance of survival for larvae that hatch from fertile eggs.

They have a prolonged abdomen, black with yellow or orange dots, with legs sticking out of their body. Some say they resemble miniature alligators.

Once they reach a proper size, they attach to a leaf with their tails and form a pupa, which transforms into a ladybird within a week or two.

They can eat eggs and larvae when food is scarce.

It is a type of hibernation, which can last for up to nine months.

Their bright colors warn of potential predators, suggesting they are not a tasty treat. Apart from their looks, ladybugs also emit a yellow liquid from their leg joints, which is toxic to many mammals and birds. Thirdly, they can just simply “play dead”–they remain still at their backs until the threat passes.

They also fall prey to dragonflies, frogs, and spiders.

In Poland and Russia, they are called Boża krówka, which translates to “godly little cow.” In certain parts of England, people call them “bishy barnabee,” and the French call them “lady cow.”