Appearance/Anatomy

• If ladybugs cannot forage enough food, they can become cannibalistic.lady bug image by Florin Capilnean from Fotolia.com
  
  Ladybugs are small, round or oval and dome-shaped. Common beetles have black markings on yellow, orange or red forewings. Others are black with red spots, and some have no spots. Some varieties are striped or have checkerboard markings.
  
  The ladybug's anatomy consists of a head, abdomen, thorax, antennae, three pairs of legs, an exoskeleton and wings. When ladybugs are not flying ,their wings are covered up and protected by modified wings. Ladybugs rely on their antennae for taste, smell and touch.
  
  

Life Cycle

• Ladybugs can be annihilated by some types of pesticides.lady bug in flower image by JoLin from Fotolia.com
  
  Ladybugs under go a complete metamorphosis in 4 to 7 weeks. Females lay random quantities of eggs, from a few to 200 to 300 in each batch. She lays her eggs among aphid colonies, assuring her young of fresh food when they hatch.
  
  Eggs enter the larval state in about a week. Larvae eat and grow through four stages, shedding their old skin each time. They look like small black alligators with spots or stripes. The next stage is the pupa stage that takes from 3 to 12 days as they finish growing.
  
  The adult ladybug emerges from the pupa as a very soft bug, pale in color, and carries no spots. Spots begin to develop and wing covers slowly harden, transforming into a new adult.
  
  

Reproduction

• Aphids can present quite a problem for landscaping plants.reed aphids image by Adrian Hillman from Fotolia.com
  
  Male and female ladybugs will mate each spring or summer. She can store the male's sperm for 2 to 3 months before laying any eggs. Eggs usually hatch into the larval state within a week of being laid.
  
  In a 1- to 3-month period, she can lay anywhere from 20 to 1,000 eggs. Eggs are laid on plant stems and leaves. The spindle-shaped eggs are small and orange, yellow or cream colored.
  
  

Food

• Planting flowers that attract ladybugs next to roses can resolve your aphid problems.bouton de rose image by asb from Fotolia.com
  
  Lady beetles can be found in fields, crops and gardens feeding on their favorite food the aphid, consuming as many as 50 per day. Some varieties of ladybugs show preferences for specific aphid species, while others will gorge on many varieties.
  
  Should aphids be scarce, larvae and adult ladybugs will feed on the eggs of small insects, thrips, mites, beetles and moths. They also feed on nectar and flower pollen. Farmers use ladybugs for their crops as a natural pesticide against aphids and other insects.
  
  

Predators

• Lady beetles enjoy fresh nectar from flowers.Ladybug image by Stana from Fotolia.com
  
  The ladybug world has evolved with interesting tricks to ward off potential enemies. The bold colors of ladybugs warn off potential predators that they might not be a tasty meal.
  
  Another useful trick is the ability to play dead. They fold up all six legs so they cannot be seen, mimicking death. Then they excrete a small amount of their blood, which smells horrible to predators. This trick is an effective method for keeping ladybugs off the menu.