A clutch of orange colored ladybird eggs gathered at one end of a tree leafĮgg laying continues on into July, with each female laying as many as 1,000 eggs in some species. Breeding generally begins in May, but is dependent on the weather and in most cases the presence of food. The adults overwinter, often in large groups, in any place they can find that is dry and (if possible) out of the wind. The Ladybug life cycle is similar in many species. Other species are scarcer and more difficult to find, such as the Pine Ladybird ( Exochomus 4-pustulatus) which is restricted to pines by its food source the Hieroglyphic Ladybird ( Coccinella hieroglyphica) and the Heather Ladybird ( Chilocorus 2-pustulatus) which are restricted to heathlands as well as the 13 Spot Ladybird ( Hippodamia 13-punctata) and the Water Ladybird ( Anisosticta 19-punctata), which are restricted to damp marshy places. The pine ladybird (Exochomus qadripustulatus) the 2 Spot Ladybird ( Adalia 2-punctata). Some species are generalists, feeding on a wide variety of aphids and are easy to find i.e. Four of the 42 British species are are vegetarians the Orange Ladybird ( Halzia 16-guttata), the 24 Spot Ladybird ( Subcoccinella 24-punctata), the 22 Spot Ladybird ( Phyllobora 22-punctata) and the 16 Spot Ladybird ( Tytthaspis 16-punctata). Most Ladybugs are carnivorous on the larva Aphids (Hemiptera, Homoptera, Aphididae), both as adults and as larvae. Few other insects have such a positive image in people’s minds. Its existence demonstrates the strong ‘presence’ of the Ladybug in the mind of non-entomological people. This is the Eastern Australian version of a little ditty which I learned as a child and I later found out had spread around all the English speaking parts of the world – in one form or another- since its creation (believed to be in the 19th century). Your house is on fire and your children all gone. Other names include the Swedish Himelska nyckla or ‘The Keys of Heaven’ and the Cherokee ‘Great Beloved Woman’. Exell published his book “History of the Ladybird” in which he cites 329 common names for the Ladybug from 55 countries, of which over 80 refer to the Virgin Mary and more than 50 are dedicated to God.Ĭontrarily one Italian name is ‘Galineta del Diaolo’ or “The Devil’s Chicken”. Relating Ladybirds to the Virgin Mary is not unusual in 1991 Dr. The red base colour of the elytra is said to represent her cloak and the 7 black spots to represent the ‘Virgins’ 7 joys and 7 sorrows.

7 Spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata) concentration swarming on brick Our Lady’s Bird: the Lady in this case being ‘The Virgin Mary’ from Christian Mythology. The name Ladybird arises from the vernacular name for the common 7-Spot Ladybird ( Coccinella 7-punctata) in Europe. Many exude unpleasant oils from joints in their legs as a defense mechanism. The legs are short and retractable under the body. The elytra completely cover the abdomen, meet all the way down the middle of the insect’s back and are never longitudinally ridged. The antennae are usually 11 segmented, short and clubbed. Ladybugs are described as small to medium sized beetles, 0.3 mm to 10 mm long with a head that is retractable into the pronotum (the dorsal surface of the first thoracic segment). There are more than 5,200 species world wide and of these 42 regularly occur in Britain. They are generally brightly colored and are symbols of good in many myths. Lady Bugs (Family Coccinellidae a.k.a Lady Birds or Lady Beetles) are among the most familiar and best loved of the commonly identified insects.

Coccinella simpatica