smiles 0 #1 March 4, 2003 Was having coffee in the sun on my deck this morning (it is spring!!) and noticed ladybugs on my plants. This- I know is a great sign, especially for my roses...makes me smile, all is well. I do not know much about them, and especially curious about their flight... was interesting to find out: - not all ladybugs are female (ha ha) Few insects are more beloved than the beetles belonging to the family Coccinellidae. It’s said that these species were long ago dedicated to the Virgin Mary and were called “Beetle of Our Lady.” - top flying speed is about fifteen miles per hour, ladybugs have two pairs of wings, but only the rear pair is used for flying. The fore wings are usually hard and when closed form a protective covering for the more fragile rear wings. Beetles are generally not strong fliers, as the forewings must be held wide open during flight, foiling the aerodynamics. They do not fly until the temperature is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit, then lady bugs become active. ('coleo-ptera' means, literally, 'sheath-wings'). - Ladybugs hibernate in cold weather and are cold blooded.....have six legs and they use their front legs to clean their head and it's antennae. - The wing covering (elytra) or flight wing cover..is red with black spots, the color of the elytra depends on the amount of food consumed during their larval stage. The more food they eat the more red pigment is present. - When the insect is disturbed, it can expel a smelly, yellowish liquid from the area where the leg joins the body. The insect uses the liquid to ward off predators because it tastes as bad as it smells. So, when we touch a ladybug it sometimes responds as if we were a predator and squirts us with the ladybug equivalent of mace. - Ladybugs are capable of consuming up to 50 to 60 aphids per day but will also eat a variety of other insects and larvae including scales, mealy bugs, leaf hoppers, mites, and various types of soft-bodied insects. They will feed on other pests, but are best known to eliminate the aphid population. - Ladybugs are one of the most active predators, searching from dawn to dusk for food Their hard shells deter predators from eating them. - Ladybugs also “play dead” when in danger because many predators won’t eat an insect that doesn’t move. They do not bite people or pets, do not infest stored food. They do not carry diseases or sting, nor can they breed indoors. - The familiar ladybug belongs to the animal kingdom's most successful order. “Ladybug, lady bug, fly away home Your house is on fire And your children will burn??” Nice sentiment to lay on those toddlers (should it read "children are gone?") Smiles Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveMonkey 0 #2 March 4, 2003 You should add NSFW cos of that pic in the bottom right ____________________ Say no to subliminal messages Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladyskydiver 0 #3 March 4, 2003 Cool post! Thanks! I always enjoy learning something new.Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pammi 0 #4 March 4, 2003 You must be like me...a font of useless information. I could care less about things that I probably should care about, but I look up all kinds of weird things like this just out of curiosity I know how lobsters mate if you need that information Pammi Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
