A Look at Ladybugs

Table of Contents

Ladybug Facts……….….page 2

Ladybug Habitats …...page 3

Ladybug Diet …………...page 4

Ladybugs in Flight …..page 5

Ladybug Predators ….page 6

Ladybug Protection …page 7

Ladybugs in Winter …page 8

Ladybug Life Cycle . .page 9

Ladybug Eggs …………page 10

Ladybug Larvae……..…...page 11

Ladybug Pupa ………….....page 12

Ladybug Adults ……......page 13

Ladybugs in Space ..….page 14

Ladybug Acrostic ……..page 15

Ladybug I Poem ………...page 16

Ladybug WOW Facts ..page 17

Glossary ………………………page 18

Index ……………………..……page 19

Illustrated by Mayrani

Ladybug Facts

Ladybugs are insects. They belong to the beetle family. There are about 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs in the world. Most ladybugs are red with black spots, but they can also be orange, yellow, or black. They may have stripes or no designs at all.

Illustrated by Brittney

Ladybug Habitats

Ladybugs live all over the world. They live on every continent except Antarctica. Ladybugs can be at home in many different habitats. They can live in cities or suburbs, grasslands or gardens, forests or fields, mountains or marshes.

Illustrated by Macy

Ladybug Diet

Ladybugs are helpful to farmers. They eat aphids which are tiny insects that devour and destroy crops. Ladybugs have a voracious appetite and can eat over 5,000 aphids in a lifetime. They will also consume moth eggs, pollen, and other small insects. Illustrated by Camille

Ladybugs in Flight

A ladybug's wings are hidden under the wing covers. When they want to fly away, they must hold up the covers and unfold their wings. Their wings must move very fast before they can take off. When the ladybug lands, it must fold its wings back under the wing covers.

Illustrated by Reagan

Ladybug Predators

Ladybugs have predators or enemies that try to eat them. Their main predator is a bird. Other attackers are frogs, wasps, spiders, dragonflies, and praying mantises. When a ladybug sees one of these creatures, they know to watch out.

Illustrated by Ethan

Ladybug Protection

Ladybugs can fly away from some predators, but they are not fast flyers. They have two other forms of protection. First, ladybugs can play dead. When they are frightened, they topple over, lie on their backs, and roll up their legs.

They can also defend themselves by oozing a yucky, evil-smelling liquid from their legs. This disturbing stench drives away enemies.

Illustrated by Lucas

Ladybugs in Winter

Ladybugs are busy during the spring, summer, and fall. But when the weather turns cold, it is time for them to hibernate. They search for a place to hide from the cold winter winds. They may hibernate under leaves, stones, or tree trunks or even in barns or homes. Thousands of ladybugs can be found sleeping together until warm weather returns.

Illustrated by Ameshia

Ladybug Life Cycle

Illustrated by Henry

Ladybug Eggs

A mother ladybug searches for a good place to lay her eggs. She looks for a plant that has aphids so her babies will have food. She lays about 20 eggs on the bottom of a leaf then flies away. The eggsare orange and oval-shaped. After about a week, the eggs turn brown and hatch the next day.

Illustrated by Jessica

Ladybug Larvae

The tiny creatures that emerge from the eggs are called larvae. They are bluish-gray with yellow spots and have long, thin bodies. They are covered with spiky bristles. The larvae are ravenous and immediately devour their egg shells. Then, they hunt for aphids to eat. As they eat, they grow and as they grow, they must shed their skins. This is called molting. They will molt three times. After three or four weeks, the larvae are completely grown.

Illustrated by D. J.

Ladybug Pupa

When the larvae are finished growing, they attach themselves to a leaf and hang upside down. They molt for the last time. The new skin turns into a hard case called a pupa. The pupa looks like bird poop. This keeps it from being eaten. Inside the pupa, the larva is going through a spectacular change.

Illustrated by Salma

Ladybug Adults

After about a week, the pupa splits open and a new creature crawls out. It is a ladybug! The new ladybug must rest and stretch its wings. Then it's ready to fly. A ladybug spends most of its time searching for food and eating.

Illustrated by Jeremiah

Ladybugs in Space

In 1999, four ladybugs and a bunch of aphids traveled to outer space on the space shuttle. Scientists named the insects John, Paul, Ringo, and George. They were trying to see if ladybugs could catch their food in space. The ladybugs enjoyed their outer space picnic and ate all the aphids. The astronauts decided that ladybugs do great in outer space! Illustrated by Brandon

Ladybug Acrostic

Ladybug I PoemI am a lovely ladybug

I wonder if I will find enough aphidsI hear other ladybugs’ wings humming

I see my friends in the rose gardenI want to join them for a meal

I am a lovely ladybug

I pretend that I will live for hundreds of yearsI feel old although I am only a few weeks old

I touch my eggs for the last timeI worry that my babies will not survive

I cry when I realize I will never meet my childrenI am a lovely ladybug

I understand that birds want to eat meI say “Stay away - I taste yucky”

I dream that I can fly faster than a birdI try to play dead before my predatorsI hope that bring luck to many people

I am a lovely ladybug

Illustrated by Briana

Ladybug WOW Facts

There are over 5,000 different species of ladybugs.

One ladybug will eat over 5,000 insects in its lifetime.

The most common ladybug in North America is the seven-spotted ladybug.

A ladybug in flight beats its wings over 85 times per second.

A lady ladybug will lay around 2,000 eggs.

Six states have a ladybug for its official state insect -

Some people believe that ladybugs bring good luck.

Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, & Tennessee.

Illustrated by Mrs. Hicks

Glossary

Aphid – A small insect that feed by sucking juice from plants

Beetle – A group of insects with strong, biting jaws and hard wing covers.

Insect – A creature that has 3 body parts and six legs.

Larva – The second stage of an insect’s life cycle.

Molt – To split and shed the skin to allow for new growth.

Predator – An animal that hunts and eats other animals.

Pupa – The hard case that forms around a larva before it becomes an adult.

Illustrated by Litzy

Index

aphid – 4, 10, 14

adult - 13

beetle - 2

diet - 4

eggs – 10, 11

farmers - 4, 15

hibernate – 8

larva – 9, 11,12

life cycle - 9

molt - 11

predator – 6

protection – 7

pupa – 9, 12, 13

wings - 5

Illustrated by Dalton

Sources

Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home

Written by Judy Hawes

Illustrated by Ed Emberley

Ladybugs: Red, Fiery, and Bright

Written and Illustrated by Mia Posada

Starting Life Ladybug

Written by Claire Llewellyn

Illustrated by Simon Mendez

National Geographic Kids Ladybug Website

Enchanted Learning Ladybug Website

About the Authors and Illustrators

We are second graders at Forbush Elementary School in East Bend, N.C. We have enjoyed researching and writing about ladybugs. We are also excited about the ladybug habitat that our teacher bought. We will use it to observe the stages of the ladybug life cycle and will learn even more about these interesting insects.