If you roughly push a cow, it will curl up its antennae and legs and freeze. It will lie there for a minute or two as if dead, and then crawl. They say that the beetle pretends to be dead: it tries to deceive the enemy. An insect cannot pretend, it is not a person. But many beetles, and other insects sometimes suddenly seem to “faint.”

With strong, and most importantly, sudden external irritation, usually with a jolt, some insects experience so-called nervous shock. Its external sign: the insect becomes motionless, as if “dying.” The “shock” will end, the irritated nervous system will calm down, and the insect will “come to its senses”: it will wake up and crawl. Insects have many enemies. You need to defend yourself from them. Some run for their lives, some hide, some bite painfully, some sting, some... There are many different ways of self-defense. “Freeze” is one of them. A stationary insect is more difficult to notice, and not every bird will be interested in “dead” prey. Having tucked its legs, the frozen beetle falls down from a branch or leaf and thereby hides from the enemy: where can one look for a small fallen beetle in the grass?

It turned out that “dying away” can be beneficial. And this habit is a painful phenomenon! - in some insects it has become entrenched and turned into a method of self-defense.

There is no particular need for the cow to “pretend to be dead”; there is no need to deceive the enemy. Whether she is alive or dead, rarely does anyone try to eat her.

Squeeze the cow slightly between your fingers. Look at them now: the fingers are stained with yellow liquid. This is blood. As soon as the cow tightens its legs, droplets of blood protrude from the joints, from the “knees”: blood droplets are the beetle’s protection.

Smell a finger stained with yellow cow blood. The smell is unpleasant. If you get more yellow liquid on your finger, lick it: there is nothing dangerous about it. Taste it and you will find out what cow blood tastes like.

Acrid taste, and even an unpleasant smell... This yellow blood is disgusting.

The bird that has grabbed the cow takes a long time to clean its beak. At this time, she looked as if she were saying: “Well, what disgusting thing got into my mouth!”

You won’t remember a little gray bug: you never know how many of them are gray. Everyone knows this for themselves: there are many different beetles, but we remember only a few. We just know the cow. Why? The coloring is such that it is easy to remember.

So is the bird: it will try the cow once, twice, and will not touch it again. He will remember the tasteless bug.

The bright color of the cow is like a sign. And it is written on this sign: “Don’t touch me, it will be bad.”

Unpleasant taste and noticeable coloring do not save cows from all enemies. They are grabbed by large predatory flies - ktyri, and eaten by some birds. But they are still protected from attacks by most birds, and this is already enough.

Droplets of blood protruding from the beetle’s legs are popularly called “jelly.” Therefore, the beetle received the nickname “ladybug”. These beetles are also similar in color to a cow: red (red) with black or white, black with red, yellow. They are also called “sun”: round and red. True, this “sun” turns out to be very spotty.

U different nations The cow is called differently, but everywhere she has an affectionate name. People love this bug... Why? For his calm character, probably.

Appearances can often be deceiving. Same with the cow. Look at her - quiet. It would seem, who will she offend? But in reality it is a predator.

The cow is very voracious. Its food is aphids. It’s not difficult to find aphids: they’re not found on anything! On apple trees, on rose hips, on cabbage, on hops, you never know what plants there are aphids on! Sometimes there are so many of them that they cover the entire stem. Having pierced the skin of the plant with their proboscis, the aphids suck and draw juices from it.

A cow appears and eats them one by one. She needs a lot of food: she eats a hundred or even more aphids per day. Well, isn’t this little, so modest-looking bug a glutton!

One of our most common cows is the seven-spotted one. It was named so because there are seven black dots on its yellow-red elytra: three on each elytra and one common one on the seam between them. She is one of the largest cows: almost the size of a good pea, or rather, the size of half a pea.

You can see it in spring, summer, and autumn. In the spring there are few cows, in the second half of summer there are many more, sometimes there are many.

After the snow melts, the cow does not immediately crawl out of its winter shelter. There is no need to rush: there is no food yet.

They run one after another spring days, the buds swell and the aphids hatch from winter eggs. A few more days, and young Tlings appear. There is food for the cows.

The viburnum and rose hips were already in full bloom when the cows began to lay eggs. Cluster after cluster of these elongated yellow eggs appeared on the undersides of the leaves. Every day the female laid a number of eggs: sometimes ten, sometimes fifty. And so on for many days. In total, a female can lay more than a thousand eggs, and there are fertile ones that lay even more than two thousand.

The eggs seem to stand on the leaves: the ladybird glues them upright to the surface of the leaf. After five to fourteen days, depending on the weather, the larvae appear.

The earliest clusters of eggs have begun to turn gray, a sign that larvae are about to hatch. It is known that in many cow eggs the embryo does not develop at all, and in many the larva cannot emerge from the egg. Great fertility saves the cow: if out of hundreds of her children only a couple survive and lay eggs, then total There will be no fewer cows: two dead parents will be replaced by two children. This means that the species “seven-spotted ladybird” will exist, and not just exist, but thrive.

The larvae have appeared. Tiny, they were not slow to show their habits: to begin with, they ate egg shells and undeveloped eggs. This food didn’t last long for them, and they scattered from their native leaf in all directions. We went to look for prey - aphids.

Ladybird larvae, even the youngest ones, eat caterpillars, midges, mosquitoes, cabbage eggs, and, on occasion, their sisters. They are ready to eat any small insect, as long as it is soft and gentle enough, but they eat hundreds of aphid larvae.

Long-legged, slate-gray, they nimbly run through plants, looking for food. When crawling and running, they stick out their legs greatly, and therefore look not only very legged, but also not entirely pleasant. They have black warts on their backs, and besides them there are several bright ones. orange spots. The molting larva is an easy prey. And those that have not yet begun to shed or those that have already become stronger after molting can attack the molters and eat them.

During pupation, the larvae find suitable places on the underside of the leaf and, secreting a sticky liquid, attach to it with their rear end.

Then the larva sheds the last skin, moves to the leaf and remains there, covering the rear end of the pupa.

At first, the one-color, yellow pupa gradually darkens and becomes covered with bright spots. Once fully colored, it looks very spotted: yellow, orange and dark spots make it bright and motley. Smooth and motley, it did not at all look like a future beetle. The doll hangs open. True, it is not immediately noticeable, since it is located on the underside of the sheet.

The life of a pupa is short: only about a week.

The cow emerging from the pupa has an almost black head, chest and legs, and the usual white spots on the pronotum. The elytra are pale, almost white with a slightly pinkish tint. There is not a single spot on them. She sits on the doll's skin completely motionless. The cow's elytra darken and grow stronger very slowly. Black dots begin to appear on them when the elytra are completely pale. Appears first common point on the suture, behind the scutellum, and almost simultaneously with it - the most posterior point on the elytra. The last one is the front side point. Dark spots are barely visible on a pale background, gradually darken and become more distinct. Little by little the background became brighter: the elytra not only became colored, but also hardened. However, if you scare away a cow that has just emerged from the pupa and has not yet developed spots, it will remain for the rest of its life without spots and with a dull pale coloration of the elytra. All the spots have already appeared - they will all be there. Only a part of them appeared - you won’t wait for the rest.

The cow's first food is the skin of the pupa. After eating it, it crawls away in search of food.

Predatory ladybugs - beetles and larvae - destroy many aphids and their relatives, and even less mobile scale insects and scale insects.

Catch the cows and set them on the aphids. They will quickly clear them from plants.

Tangerines and other citrus fruits, apple trees, pears, plums, and the tea bush have the most dangerous enemies in the south: different kinds scale insects and scale insects. It is difficult to fight them with the help of all sorts of poisons, and chemistry does not help the gardener here. In addition, poisons are harmful. The cows turned out to be excellent protectors of the tea bush, tangerines, and apple trees. Different types of scale insects and scale insects are also attacked by different types of ladybugs: some are local, others are brought from distant countries. Cows protect our tangerines and tea bush on Black Sea coast Caucasus: the Australian ladybug Rhodolia guards tangerines, the local ladybug Hyperapis protects tea bushes.

Later it turned out that there are more than 1000 species of ladybugs (lat. Coccinellidae) in the world.

They live in different places: some liked the plants on which aphids are found (these are apparently the laziest, or better said, pragmatic - food is always at hand), others looked for the indescribable beauty of field grasses, while others liked meadows with a view on the stream, some preferred to sit on aquatic plants.

This is what a two-spotted ladybug (Adalia bipunctata) looks like.

Recently I read about an amazing cow (Ailocaria hexaspilota Hope), the pattern on the elytra of which is truly worthy of surprise and philosophical treatises.

This type of ladybug can only be found here in the south. Far East. She first lives on bird cherry, and by the end of May she moves to Manchurian nut. He loves to eat leaf beetles. It is also surprising that flocks of amazing cows accumulate during the wintering period. Imagine how beautiful it turns out!

Later it turned out that there are more than 1000 species of ladybugs (lat. Coccinellidae) in the world. They live in different places: some liked the plants on which aphids are found (these are apparently the laziest, or better said, pragmatic - food is always at hand), others looked for the indescribable beauty of field grasses, while others liked meadows with a view on the stream, some preferred to sit on aquatic plants.

The most common species appears to be the seven-spotted ladybug (Cocinella septempunctata). Its black breast is decorated with a whitish spot in the anterior corner, and there are seven black dots on the red elytra (three on each elytra and one common scute). It is found in Europe, North Africa, Asia and feeds on aphids.

According to the ladybug atlas, you may encounter a ladybug with the number of spots from two to twenty-six.

This is what a two-spotted ladybug (Adalia bipunctata) looks like.

It is curious that this particular ladybug was approved as the national insect of Latvia in 1991 by the Entomological Society of Latvia. She is useful, slow in nature, but this does not prevent her from defending herself well - it is thanks to her appearance and behavior that she is so loved in Latvia. In Latvian it is called marite, which is the name of the Latvian ancient deity Mara, who embodies earthly power.

And so - with 22 points (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata).

Recently I read about an amazing cow (Ailocaria hexaspilota Hope), the pattern on the elytra of which is truly worthy of surprise and philosophical treatises. This type of ladybug can only be found here in the south of the Far East. She first lives on bird cherry, and by the end of May she moves to Manchurian nut. He loves to eat leaf beetles. It is also surprising that flocks of amazing cows accumulate during the wintering period. Imagine how beautiful it turns out!

No matter how many dots decorate the back of a ladybug, it is beautiful to the envy of all insects and to the delight of people. Let's pay attention to these wonderful creatures!

Ladybugs are gardener's assistants.

These bugs, familiar to everyone from childhood, as well as their larvae, are natural enemies aphids. Cute and beloved ladybugs are everyone's favorite helpers for gardeners.

Europe is home to only 100 species of ladybirds, or coccinellids, of the 5,000 members of this large family. Most species of ladybirds live in tropical and subtropical climates. Even the seven-spotted ladybug, familiar to us all, needs warmth. On warm days, ladybugs lead an active lifestyle - they fly faster and more. On cool days, ladybugs are less active.

The number, color and shape of the dots on the elytra of these insects have become distinctive features various types. The number of dots, contrary to popular belief, does not say anything about the age of insects. Most of the ladybugs living in our latitudes feed on aphids. Others feed on coccids (scale insects and mealybugs), spider mites and even whiteflies. Very few species of ladybirds feed on plants and fungal spores. Many types other than animal food. They also eat plants - they feast on pollen and nectar. Not all ladybugs specialize in eating different types of aphids; some feed only on certain species, so they travel a considerable distance in search of food. The availability of food and weather significantly influence the development, growth rate and increase in the number of ladybugs.

Females reproduce only when food is available, then their eggs mature. Each female lays 400 yellow eggs groups of 10-30 on the underside of the leaf, usually next to the aphid colony. Ladybugs feed on coccids and lay eggs under the shell of pests. The larvae hatch from the eggs after 7-10 days. The larvae are long, dark-colored. They go through four to five growth stages before pupating. During this period, the larvae must actively feed. After 3-6 weeks they pupate on leaves or tree trunks. The pupae are round. Painted orange or black. After four to nine weeks, the pupae hatch into yellow-orange beetles with pale spots on the elytra. The full development cycle of a ladybug lasts from one to three months. Ladybugs give birth to one to two generations per year.

It is better to refrain from using chemicals pest control. Adult ladybugs and their larvae are very sensitive to insecticides. In the spring, we do not spray plants with chemicals against aphids, as we will deprive the adult generation of cows of the food necessary for laying eggs. You can help ladybugs by growing trees and shrubs in the garden on which various types of aphids will settle. In addition, ladybugs will find on them a good place for wintering.

As for wintering places, the following may be suitable for this purpose:

Hedges and piles of brushwood provide a safe place for wintering. We leave piles of fallen leaves and brushwood in the garden until spring. Dry rocky walls and old trees with deep crevices in the bark are perfect place for wintering ladybugs. An entire colony of ladybugs can overwinter in sheds, woodpiles and birdhouses, as well as in the walls of wooden houses. Ladybugs can overwinter in a piece of wood in which suitable holes have been drilled, or in bundles of reed stems. You can also help ladybugs, since they are among the worst natural enemies of aphids and some other pests. They dont have special devices to hunt aphids, therefore, having eaten pests, they move to another plant in search of food. Ladybugs fly around many plants during the day. Searching for food takes a lot of their energy. Adult beetles (seven-spotted ladybirds) eat up to 150 aphids per day, and smaller species eat about 60. The larva of the seven-spotted ladybird eats at least 800 aphids for further development before pupation.

If suddenly you come across a ladybug in your garden that is more different than what you are used to seeing, then here is short description types of cows:

Ocellated ladybird - length 8-10mm, yellow-red elytra with 20 black dots with light edges, found in forests, usually in pine forests (feeds on lice beetles), as well as on garden trees and shrubs.

The despotted ladybird is 3.5-5 mm long, the elytra are dark red or dark brown, each with five black dots, the most numerous of the species that prey on aphids in meadows and among tree or shrub plantations.

Fourteen-spotted ladybird - length 3.5-4.5 mm, over 100 different shapes, elytra red or yellow with 14 dark spots, preys on different types of aphids.

Spot ladybird - length 1.3-1.5 mm, black hairy elytra, yellow legs and antennae, lives on deciduous and fruit trees, feeds on spider mites.

You don't need to be an entomologist to have an idea of ​​what a ladybug looks like. A small red bug with black dots is familiar to everyone since childhood and immediately catches the eye not only of humans, but also of representatives of the animal world.

Ladybugs are arthropod insects from the order Coleoptera; their front wings are transformed into hard elytra that cover the beetle from above like nutshells. A young individual is easily distinguished by its bright red or orange color; with age, the color of the elytra fades, but the number of black dots remains constant. The number of marks depends on the species of the insect. Today, scientists identify 360 genera of ladybugs, including about 4 thousand species, some of which are named by the number of black dots on the elytra.

Warning coloring is a special sign for birds and predators, meaning that there is a poisonous insect in front of them. In case of danger, these beetles release hemolymph from the joints of their legs - a substance that is deadly for many representatives of the fauna.

Seven-spotted ladybugs are the most common species, whose representatives inhabit the steppes, forests and gardens of Europe, Asia and North Africa, they were specially brought to North America several times to combat aphids, scale insects and other agricultural pests.

The beetles grow up to 5 - 8 mm in length, their elytra are distinguished by a convex oval shape and a red or yellowish-orange color with 7 black dots: 3 on the elytra and one in the middle near the scutellum. Some individuals may have clearly visible white spots on the front of their heads.

Double-spotted elytra beetles are a typical European and North American species, also introduced to Australia as an effective biological agent. In 1991, the two-spotted ladybird was awarded the title of national insect of Latvia.

Adults are about 5 mm long. The color of the insects is usually bright red, with one black spot on each of the elytra. The pronotum (the segment between the head and the elytra) is black with a yellow border or yellow with a clearly visible letter “M” in the middle.

A species characteristic of Eurasia, the USA and Canada. The beetles, from 4.5 to 7 mm long, are distinguished by an elongated body, orange elytra and 13 black dots, which sometimes merge with each other.

Fourteen-spotted ladybird

Representatives of the species are widespread in Europe, Asia and Africa. Insect elytra can be painted in two color variations: black spots on a yellow background and vice versa. The number of dots is always constant and amounts to 14 pieces, some of which merge and form a bizarre, characteristic pattern with clear geometry.

Alfalfa twenty-four-spot ladybird

The natural range of these beetles is in Europe and Asia; insects were brought to North America by humans. Unlike most ladybugs, these beetles are not predators, but typical phytophages that prefer to feed on the green mass of plants, especially alfalfa, soapwort and cloves.

A small beetle, 3-4 mm long, colored red with 24 black spots randomly scattered across the elytra.

Twenty-eight-spotted potato ladybug (epilachna)

Another vegetarian among the cows, preferring potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes and melons to aphids. Representatives of the species are found in the Far East, China, Korea and Japan. The beetle grows up to 5 mm in length, and its red wing covers are decorated with 28 black dots.

A member of the family that prefers to live in coniferous forests. The yellow or pale red elytra of insects contain about 10 black spots each, surrounded by a light border. The spots resemble an eye in appearance; they can be clearly defined, sometimes they blur or disappear altogether. Ocellated ladybugs can grow up to 1 cm in length.

A European species introduced to North America. The beetles get their name from the variability of their black spots. Orange elytra usually have 6 black dots and one scute, which may merge with each other or be completely absent. The body length of the variable ladybird is from 3 to 5.5 mm.

See also: Asian ladybug: life cycle (+ photo).

See also:

Hello, dear readers of the Sprint-Response website. Today on the calendar is Saturday, June 17, 2017, and the TV game “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” is on air on Channel One. In this article you can find out all the answers in today's episode of the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" for June 17, 2017 (06/17/2017).

In the intellectual show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" 06/17/2017 visiting the holy of holies of Channel One, the main directorate of information programs, Valeria Korableva and Anton Vernitsky. Also visiting are the valiant representatives of “What? Where? When?”, experts Anastasia Shutova and Mikhail Moon. Let's start the review of the game.

1. What should swords be reforged, according to the popular expression?

• into plowshares
• on the visor
• for patterns
• on the sponge

2. Who was sent in the film "The Elusive Avengers"?

• shepherdess
• Cossack
• old man
• dove

3. What can you eat for lunch?

• consomme
• papier mache
• pince-nez
• fashion show

4. What do you call a copy of an antique object made from modern materials?

• rookie
• new settler
• remake
• chaos

5. What is the name of Euclid’s fundamental work on geometry?

• "Beginnings"
• "Middles"
• "Ends"
• "Infinity"

6. What helped the fairy-tale Niels destroy the gray rats of Glimmingen Castle?

• violin
• pipe
• drum
• Magic wand

7. What animals are on the coat of arms of Novosibirsk?

• wolves
• squirrels
• sable

8.What can be found in each psiche mirror?

• hinges
• carved gilded frame
• lamps
• engraving on glass

9. Who is mentioned in Bulat Okudzhava's song "The Last Trolleybus"?

• pilots
• tank crews
• cavalrymen
• sailors

10. Who introduced the concept of "horsepower"?

• Michael Faraday
• Alessandro Volta
• James Watt
• Benjamin Franklin

11. What battle does the monument of ancient Russian literature "Zadonshchina" tell about?

• Nevskaya
• Kulikovskaya
• on Kalka
• Battle on the Ice

12. What is the girl doing? open window in the famous painting by Johannes Vermeer?

• waves a handkerchief
• talking to a neighbor
• reads a letter
• puts on a hat

13. In which sea did Neil Armstrong take his first steps on the lunar surface?

• Sea of ​​Plenty
• Sea of ​​Clarity
• Sea of ​​Tranquility
• Sea of ​​Humidity

14. How many black dots are there on the elytra of the most numerous species of ladybugs?

The players answered the fourteenth question incorrectly, so they only won a fireproof amount of 200,000 rubles. Which is a good result. At the table in the studio, the players were replaced by other players who also chose the fireproof amount of 200,000 rubles.

1. What are the names of the lenses that people wear to see better?

• friendly
• contact
• sociable
• sociable

2. What helps children identify the driver in the game?

• reader
• writer
• counting rhyme
• solver

3. What do they say finances do when they don't exist?

• sing romances
• read the stanzas
• fall into trances
• count the chances

4. Which singer wrote and performed the song “Prima Donna”?

• Tamara Gverdtsiteli
• Irina Allegrova
• Alla Pugacheva
• Sofia Rotaru

5. What does not apply to fermented milk products?

• kumiss
• hash
• ayran

6. What item was considered an indispensable attribute of the Scandinavian god Thor?

• hammer
• axe

7. Where did Sharikov prefer to go in the story “Heart of a Dog”?

• to the cinema
• to the theatre
• to the opera
• to the circus

8. Who hasn't participated in expeditions to the Earth's poles?

• Robert Scott
• Roald Amundsen
• David Livingston
• Robert Peary

9. On the territory of which state is the village of Brich-Mulla, about which Tatyana and Sergei Nikitin sang, located?

• Turkmenistan
• Georgia
• Azerbaijan
• Uzbekistan

10. What nickname did physicist Ernest Rutherford receive due to the fact that students from afar recognized him by his steps and voice?

• "elephant"
• "dynamite"
• "crocodile"
• "alarm"

11. Where was Pushkin's name on the list of 29 lyceum students ranked by academic performance?

• in the top ten
• in the second ten
• in the third ten
• he wasn't on the list

12. Which women's work in Rus' did they mean it when they said: “For the husband - a plow, and for the wife - a cross”?

• spinning
• weaving
• flax fluttering
• bleaching of linen

13. Whose star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is not built into the sidewalk, but placed on the wall of the Dolby Theater?

• Ronald Reagan
• Mickey Mouse
• Steven Spielberg
• Muhammad Ali

The players wisely refused to answer the thirteenth question, taking the 400,000 rubles they had won. And they did the right thing, because they would have answered incorrectly.

Ladybugs are gardener's assistants.

These bugs, familiar to everyone since childhood, as well as their larvae, are natural enemies of aphids. Cute and beloved ladybugs are everyone's favorite helpers for gardeners.

Europe is home to only 100 species of ladybirds, or coccinellids, of the 5,000 members of this large family. Most species of ladybirds live in tropical and subtropical climates. Even the seven-spotted ladybug, familiar to us all, needs warmth. On warm days, ladybugs lead an active lifestyle - they fly faster and more. On cool days, ladybugs are less active.

The number, color and shape of the dots on the elytra of these insects have become distinctive features of various species. The number of dots, contrary to popular belief, does not say anything about the age of insects. Most of the ladybugs living in our latitudes feed on aphids. Others feed on coccids (scale insects and mealybugs), spider mites and even whiteflies. Very few species of ladybirds feed on plants and fungal spores. Many types other than animal food. They also eat plants - they feast on pollen and nectar. Not all ladybugs specialize in eating different types of aphids; some feed only on certain species, so they travel a considerable distance in search of food. The availability of food and weather significantly influence the development, growth rate and increase in the number of ladybugs.

Females reproduce only when food is available, then their eggs mature. Each female lays 400 yellow eggs in groups of 10-30 on the underside of a leaf, usually near an aphid colony. Ladybugs feed on coccids and lay eggs under the shell of pests. The larvae hatch from the eggs after 7-10 days. The larvae are long, dark-colored. They go through four to five growth stages before pupating. During this period, the larvae must actively feed. After 3-6 weeks they pupate on leaves or tree trunks. The pupae are round. Painted orange or black. After four to nine weeks, the pupae hatch into yellow-orange beetles with pale spots on the elytra. The full development cycle of a ladybug lasts from one to three months. Ladybugs give birth to one to two generations per year.

It is better to refrain from using chemical pest control products. Adult ladybugs and their larvae are very sensitive to insecticides. In the spring, we do not spray plants with chemicals against aphids, as we will deprive the adult generation of cows of the food necessary for laying eggs. You can help ladybugs by growing trees and shrubs in the garden on which various types of aphids will settle. In addition, ladybugs will find a good place for wintering on them.

As for wintering places, the following may be suitable for this purpose:

Hedges and piles of brushwood provide a safe place for wintering. We leave piles of fallen leaves and brushwood in the garden until spring. Dry rocky walls and old trees with deep crevices in the bark are ideal places for ladybugs to overwinter. An entire colony of ladybugs can overwinter in sheds, woodpiles and birdhouses, as well as in the walls of wooden houses. Ladybugs can overwinter in a piece of wood in which suitable holes have been drilled, or in bundles of reed stems. You can also help ladybugs, since they are among the worst natural enemies of aphids and some other pests. They do not have special adaptations for hunting aphids, therefore, after eating pests, they move to another plant in search of food. Ladybugs fly around many plants during the day. Searching for food takes a lot of their energy. Adult beetles (seven-spotted ladybirds) eat up to 150 aphids per day, and smaller species eat about 60. The larva of the seven-spotted ladybird eats at least 800 aphids for further development before pupation.

If suddenly you come across a ladybug in your garden that is more different from what you are used to seeing, then here is a brief description of the types of ladybugs:

Ocellated ladybird - length 8-10mm, yellow-red elytra with 20 black dots with light edges, found in forests, usually in pine forests (feeds on lice beetles), as well as on garden trees and shrubs.

The despotted ladybird is 3.5-5 mm long, the elytra are dark red or dark brown, each with five black dots, the most numerous of the species that prey on aphids in meadows and among tree or shrub plantations.

Fourteen-spotted ladybird - length 3.5-4.5 mm, over 100 different shapes, elytra red or yellow with 14 dark spots, preys on different types of aphids.

Spot ladybird - length 1.3-1.5 mm, black hairy elytra, yellow legs and antennae, lives on deciduous and fruit trees, feeds on spider mites.

Ladybug 22-spotted - length 3-4.5 mm, long lemon-yellow beetle with 22 black dots, does not eat aphids, feeds on mealy fungi on trees, shrubs, meadow plants and grapes.

The ladybird is streak-spotted - length 7-9mm, black elytra, decorated with numerous yellow spots. It feeds on aphids that attack coniferous trees.

Here is such a large family of ladybugs, we take care of them and feed them with aphids. Good luck to you.

Ladybugs (lat. Coccinellidae) are a family of beetles, distinguished by the fact that their tarsi seem to be three-segmented, since the third, very small segment, together with half of the fourth, is hidden in the groove of the bilobed second segment. The body of the ladybug is hemispherical or ovoid, more or less convex. The head is short with 11-segmented antennae that are attached to the sides of the anterior edge of the head and can bend under the head. The abdomen consists of 5 free segments.

Its elytra are yellow-red, and there are black spots on them. This little bug is not a timid one, he is not in a hurry and is not afraid of anyone. Give him the finger

If you roughly push a cow, it will curl up its antennae and legs and freeze. It will lie there for a minute or two as if dead, and then crawl. They say that the beetle pretends to be dead: it tries to deceive the enemy. An insect cannot pretend, it is not a person. But many beetles, and other insects sometimes suddenly seem to “faint.”

With strong, and most importantly, sudden external irritation, usually with a jolt, some insects experience so-called nervous shock. Its external sign: the insect becomes motionless, as if “dying.” The “shock” will end, the irritated nervous system will calm down, and the insect will “come to its senses”: it will wake up and crawl. Insects have many enemies. You need to defend yourself from them. Some run for their lives, some hide, some bite painfully, some sting, some... There are many different ways of self-defense. “Freeze” is one of them. A stationary insect is more difficult to notice, and not every bird will be interested in “dead” prey. Having tucked its legs, the frozen beetle falls down from a branch or leaf and thereby hides from the enemy: where can one look for a small fallen beetle in the grass?

It turned out that “dying away” can be beneficial. And this habit is a painful phenomenon! - in some insects it has become entrenched and turned into a method of self-defense.

There is no particular need for the cow to “pretend to be dead”; there is no need to deceive the enemy. Whether she is alive or dead, rarely does anyone try to eat her.

Squeeze the cow slightly between your fingers. Look at them now: the fingers are stained with yellow liquid. This is blood. As soon as the cow tightens its legs, droplets of blood protrude from the joints, from the “knees”: blood droplets are the beetle’s protection.

Smell a finger stained with yellow cow blood. The smell is unpleasant. If you get more yellow liquid on your finger, lick it: there is nothing dangerous about it. Taste it and you will find out what cow blood tastes like.

Acrid taste, and even an unpleasant smell... This yellow blood is disgusting.

The bird that has grabbed the cow takes a long time to clean its beak. At this time, she looked as if she were saying: “Well, what disgusting thing got into my mouth!”

You won’t remember a little gray bug: you never know how many of them are gray. Everyone knows this for themselves: there are many different beetles, but we remember only a few. We just know the cow. Why? The coloring is such that it is easy to remember.

So is the bird: it will try the cow once, twice, and will not touch it again. He will remember the tasteless bug.

The bright color of the cow is like a sign. And it is written on this sign: “Don’t touch me, it will be bad.”

Unpleasant taste and noticeable coloring do not save cows from all enemies. They are grabbed by large predatory flies - ktyri, and eaten by some birds. But they are still protected from attacks by most birds, and this is already enough.

Droplets of blood protruding from the beetle’s legs are popularly called “jelly.” Therefore, the beetle received the nickname “ladybug”. These beetles are also similar in color to a cow: red (red) with black or white, black with red, yellow. They are also called “sun”: round and red. True, this “sun” turns out to be very spotty.

Different nations call the cow differently, but everywhere it has an affectionate name. People love this bug... Why? For his calm character, probably.

Appearances can often be deceiving. Same with the cow. Look at her - quiet. It would seem, who will she offend? But in reality it is a predator.

The cow is very voracious. Its food is aphids. It’s not difficult to find aphids: they’re not found on anything! On apple trees, on rose hips, on cabbage, on hops, you never know what plants there are aphids on! Sometimes there are so many of them that they cover the entire stem. Having pierced the skin of the plant with their proboscis, the aphids suck and draw juices from it.

A cow appears and eats them one by one. She needs a lot of food: she eats a hundred or even more aphids per day. Well, isn’t this little, so modest-looking bug a glutton!

One of our most common cows is the seven-spotted one. It was named so because there are seven black dots on its yellow-red elytra: three on each elytra and one common one on the seam between them. She is one of the largest cows: almost the size of a good pea, or rather, the size of half a pea.

You can see it in spring, summer, and autumn. In the spring there are few cows, in the second half of summer there are many more, sometimes there are many.

After the snow melts, the cow does not immediately crawl out of its winter shelter. There is no need to rush: there is no food yet.

Spring days pass one after another, the buds swell, and aphids hatch from winter eggs. A few more days, and young Tlings appear. There is food for the cows.

The viburnum and rose hips were already in full bloom when the cows began to lay eggs. Cluster after cluster of these elongated yellow eggs appeared on the undersides of the leaves. Every day the female laid a number of eggs: sometimes ten, sometimes fifty. And so on for many days. In total, a female can lay more than a thousand eggs, and there are fertile ones that lay even more than two thousand.

The eggs seem to stand on the leaves: the ladybird glues them upright to the surface of the leaf. After five to fourteen days, depending on the weather, the larvae appear.

The earliest clusters of eggs have begun to turn gray, a sign that larvae are about to hatch. It is known that in many cow eggs the embryo does not develop at all, and in many the larva cannot emerge from the egg. Great fertility saves the cow: if out of hundreds of its children only a couple survive and lay eggs, then the total number of cows will not decrease: two deceased parents will be replaced by two children. This means that the species “seven-spotted ladybird” will exist, and not just exist, but thrive.

The larvae have appeared. Tiny, they were not slow to show their habits: to begin with, they ate egg shells and undeveloped eggs. This food didn’t last long for them, and they scattered from their native leaf in all directions. We went to look for prey - aphids.

Ladybird larvae, even the youngest ones, eat caterpillars, midges, mosquitoes, cabbage eggs, and, on occasion, their sisters. They are ready to eat any small insect, as long as it is soft and gentle enough, but they eat hundreds of aphid larvae.

Long-legged, slate-gray, they nimbly run through plants, looking for food. When crawling and running, they stick out their legs greatly, and therefore look not only very legged, but also not entirely pleasant. They have black warts on their backs, and besides them there are several bright orange spots. The molting larva is an easy prey. And those that have not yet begun to shed or those that have already become stronger after molting can attack the molters and eat them.

During pupation, the larvae find suitable places on the underside of the leaf and, secreting a sticky liquid, attach to it with their rear end.

Then the larva sheds the last skin, moves to the leaf and remains there, covering the rear end of the pupa.

At first, the one-color, yellow pupa gradually darkens and becomes covered with bright spots. Once fully colored, it looks very spotted: yellow, orange and dark spots make it bright and motley. Smooth and motley, it did not at all look like a future beetle. The doll hangs open. True, it is not immediately noticeable, since it is located on the underside of the sheet.

The life of a pupa is short: only about a week.

The cow emerging from the pupa has an almost black head, chest and legs, and the usual white spots on the pronotum. The elytra are pale, almost white with a slightly pinkish tint. There is not a single spot on them. She sits on the doll's skin completely motionless. The cow's elytra darken and grow stronger very slowly. Black dots begin to appear on them when the elytra are completely pale. First, a common point appears on the suture, behind the scutellum, and almost simultaneously with it - the most posterior point on the elytra. The last one is the front side point. Dark spots are barely visible on a pale background, gradually darken and become more distinct. Little by little the background became brighter: the elytra not only became colored, but also hardened. However, if you scare away a cow that has just emerged from the pupa and has not yet developed spots, it will remain for the rest of its life without spots and with a dull pale coloration of the elytra. All the spots have already appeared - they will all be there. Only a part of them appeared - you won’t wait for the rest.

The cow's first food is the skin of the pupa. After eating it, it crawls away in search of food.

Predatory ladybugs - beetles and larvae - destroy many aphids and their relatives, and even less mobile scale insects and scale insects.

Catch the cows and set them on the aphids. They will quickly clear them from plants.

Tangerines and other citrus fruits, apple trees, pears, plums, and tea bushes have the most dangerous enemies in the south: various types of scale insects and scale insects. It is difficult to fight them with the help of all sorts of poisons, and chemistry does not help the gardener here. In addition, poisons are harmful. The cows turned out to be excellent protectors of the tea bush, tangerines, and apple trees. Different types of scale insects and scale insects are also attacked by different types of ladybugs: some are local, others are brought from distant countries. Cows protect tangerines and tea bushes on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus: the Australian ladybug Rhodolia guards tangerines, the local ladybug Hyperapis protects tea bushes.

The seven-spotted ladybug has been known to everyone since childhood. Many children are not afraid of this insect. They come up with a lot of fairy tales and funny rhymes about him. This species was first described in 1758. This red insect, according to entomologists, brings great benefits to people. It destroys harmful insects that cause damage to plants in gardens and vegetable gardens.

Where does this insect live?

Of all the species, the most famous is the seven-spotted ladybug. It can be found in all European countries, except northern zones. In addition, this bug is found in North Africa and even in Japan.

But in North America the insect could not bring much benefit. Despite the fact that it was brought to the continent, the red ladybug could not take root. There are only a few species left in North America that do not produce the desired results.

This insect prefers to live in grass groves, as well as in forest plantations, meadows, fields, plains and ravines. It is during the autumn period that ladybugs form large columnar flocks. The number of accumulated insects reaches several thousand.

Description of this species, developmental features

Initially, the ladybug has the appearance of a larva, the size of which does not exceed 1 mm. It only takes her one month to switch to new level development.

Then it already has a size of 8 to 10 mm. The body of the larvae is usually gray in color, but the head is yellow. The spots on the sides of this insect are also of the same color. The body has segments on which black spines with hairs can be seen.

In order to get food, such a larva can climb to a height of up to 12 m. During the day, to be full, it needs to absorb about 100 adult aphids or 300 of its larvae. After a month, the larva enters the pupal stage. It takes about 12 days for a ladybug to fully develop and mature. But it all depends on the air temperature: the warmer it is, the faster the pupa will turn into an adult ladybug.

Description of the adult

The body, wings and abdomen of an adult insect are black. The wings are mainly red or orange in color with spots characteristic of this insect (7 points). For this reason, the seven-spotted ladybug was named so. Three points are on one red wing, and the same number on the second. But the 7th spot can be seen near the beetle’s head.

Adult ladybugs begin to appear outside in the first half of June, when it begins to warm up. In places where the heat comes faster, you can find ladybugs in May.

They eat aphids and can eat up to 60 adult pests in a day. A ladybug lives from several months to two years. The description of the larvae indicates that for growth and rapid development they eat much more aphids than adults.

Reproduction

A female ladybug can lay about 1,000 eggs throughout her life stage.

The eggs of these insects are oval. They measure up to 1.2 mm. The color of the laid eggs is orange. The shape of the masonry generally looks like a small pile. At one time, an adult female can lay from 20 to 90 small eggs. Basically, such masonry is located in safe places, that is, under leaves, blades of grass, at the base of branches.

A large number of ladybugs can be observed precisely at the end of summer, when two generations of beetles have already hatched and developed. The larvae do not overwinter, since only adults can survive this period.

What types of ladybugs are there?

More than 4 thousand types are known. Ladybug species are divided into 7 subfamilies. Of these, the most interesting and popular types are distinguished:

Ladybug 2-point;

7-point;

12-spot ladybug;

13-point;

14-spot ladybug;

17-spot ladybug;

Asian ladybug.

What does this insect eat and what benefits does it bring to humans?

The seven-spotted ladybug is a predator. Moreover, at any stage of its development, it feeds exclusively on other bugs. It mainly eats various types of aphids, which live on all kinds of plants and trees. In addition, the bug eats the eggs of other insects: etc.

This beetle can most often be observed on fruit trees, currant bushes, as well as on pine, aspen and bird cherry. The presence of such plants in the regions of our country indicates a large number of insect data.

What do gardeners think about the seven-spotted ladybug? How to attract this insect?

Is the seven-spotted ladybug a pest or not? Many gardeners, of course, will answer no. Thanks to this small insect, it is possible to preserve significant amount harvest. Aphids, which eat and damage many plants, are the ladybug's most important food source.

Those people who prefer not to use for their plants chemical compositions to destroy pests, they believe that the best assistant will be the ladybug. But in order for the benefits of this insect to be more tangible, you need to maintain appropriate conditions in your area for the comfortable life of these red insects. To do this, you should not destroy all the aphids in the spring, and especially not resort to harmful chemicals, because then the ladybug will not come. It is better to leave a few aphids so that our insect can eat. This will attract ladybugs and they will stay in your area for a long time. long time, helping to fight numerous pests.

Conclusion

Now you know what a seven-spotted ladybug is, what it looks like, develops, and what it eats. It turns out that such a small bug can be of great benefit! In order to attract him to your garden or vegetable garden, you don’t need to do anything special - you just need to let him natural processes proceed naturally. Remember that in nature everything is interconnected, so it is important to maintain this overall cycle. It is also worth thinking about completely abandoning the use of all kinds of chemicals to protect the crop. Nature can take care of itself, you just need to help it a little!

Later it turned out that there are more than 1000 species of ladybugs (lat. Coccinellidae) in the world. They live in different places: some liked the plants on which aphids are found (these are apparently the laziest, or better said, pragmatic - food is always at hand), others looked for the indescribable beauty of field grasses, while others liked meadows with a view on the stream, some preferred to sit on aquatic plants.

The most common species appears to be the seven-spotted ladybug (Cocinella septempunctata). Its black breast is decorated with a whitish spot in the anterior corner, and there are seven black dots on the red elytra (three on each elytra and one common scute). It is found in Europe, North Africa, Asia and feeds on aphids.

This is what a two-spotted ladybug (Adalia bipunctata) looks like.

It is curious that this particular ladybug was approved as the national insect of Latvia in 1991 by the Entomological Society of Latvia. She is useful, slow in nature, but this does not prevent her from defending herself well - it is thanks to her appearance and behavior that she is so loved in Latvia. In Latvian it is called marite, which is the name of the Latvian ancient deity Mara, who embodies earthly power.

And so - with 22 points (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata).

Recently I read about an amazing cow (Ailocaria hexaspilota Hope), the pattern on the elytra of which is truly worthy of surprise and philosophical treatises. This type of ladybug can only be found here in the south of the Far East. She first lives on bird cherry, and by the end of May she moves to Manchurian nut. He loves to eat leaf beetles. It is also surprising that flocks of amazing cows accumulate during the wintering period. Imagine how beautiful it turns out!

No matter how many dots decorate the back of a ladybug, it is beautiful to the envy of all insects and to the delight of people. Let's pay attention to these wonderful creatures!

Later it turned out that there are more than 1000 species of ladybugs (lat. Coccinellidae) in the world.

They live in different places: some liked the plants on which aphids are found (these are apparently the laziest, or better said, pragmatic - food is always at hand), others looked for the indescribable beauty of field grasses, while others liked meadows with a view on the stream, some preferred to sit on aquatic plants.

According to the ladybug atlas, you may encounter a ladybug with the number of spots from two to twenty-six.

This is what a two-spotted ladybug (Adalia bipunctata) looks like.

Recently I read about an amazing cow (Ailocaria hexaspilota Hope), the pattern on the elytra of which is truly worthy of surprise and philosophical treatises.

This type of ladybug can only be found here in the south of the Far East. She first lives on bird cherry, and by the end of May she moves to Manchurian nut. He loves to eat leaf beetles. It is also surprising that flocks of amazing cows accumulate during the wintering period. Imagine how beautiful it turns out!

These bugs, familiar to everyone from childhood, as well as their larvae, are natural enemies of aphids. Every self-respecting gardener should know about the developmental stages and living conditions of ladybugs. The material in this article will help fill the gaps in knowledge.

Of the 5,000 members of the family Coccinellidae, to which ladybugs or coccinellids belong, only 100 species live in Europe. Climatic conditions and the availability of food have significant influence on the development of these bugs, their growth rate, and increase in numbers. Ladybugs need warmth, so most of these insects prefer tropical or subtropical climates. In colder climates, cows lead an active lifestyle on warm days; during cool periods, they are less mobile - they fly more slowly and less.

Contrary to popular belief, the number of dots on the elytra of ladybugs does not determine the age of these insects. But by their color and shape one can only understand whether an individual belongs to a particular species.

Most common types of ladybugs :

The ladybug (Anatis osellata) is 8–10 mm long, the elytra are yellow-red with twenty black dots framed by light edges, found in pine forests and forests, on garden trees, feeding on lice beetles.

Seven-spotted ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) - everyone known species, length 5–9 mm, common in Central Europe, feeds on aphids, not found on trees.

The ten-spotted ladybird (Adalia decimpunctata) has a length of 3.5–5 mm, the elytra are dark brown or dark red, each with five black spots, the most active species that exterminates aphids, hunts for aphids in trees, bushes, and meadows.

The fourteen-spot ladybird (Propylea quatuordecimpunctata), its length is 3.5–4.5 mm, has over 100 different shapes, the elytra are red or yellow color with fourteen dark spots, feeds different types aphids.

The dotted ladybug (Stethorus), 1.3–1.5 mm long, has black elytra covered with hairs, yellow legs and antennae, preys on spider mites, and lives on fruit and deciduous trees.

Chilocorus bipustulatus and kidney-shaped Chilocorus renipustulatus, have a length of 3.3–4.5 mm and 4.5–5.7 mm, respectively, both species with smooth black elytra, the adults and larvae of these insects feed on aphids and coccids.

The ladybug Clitostethus arcuatus, 1–2 mm long, has brown elytra with two dark spots framed by light edges, the elytra are covered with hairs, and hunts whiteflies.

Tree synharmonia (Synharmonia oblongoguttata), 5 mm long, has red and pink elytra with eight rectangular black spots, destroys aphids on fruit and deciduous trees.

The streak-spotted ladybug (Neomysia oblongoguttata) has a length of 7–9 mm, black elytra with numerous yellow spots, and preys on aphids that attack coniferous trees.

The ladybug is twenty-two-spotted, up to 4 mm long, the elytra are lemon-yellow in color with eleven black dots on each, does not eat aphids, feeds on mealy fungi on bushes, trees, meadow plants, and vineyards.

Most ladybugs feed on different types of aphids, but there are individuals that prefer only certain types of these pests. In search of food, cows can travel considerable distances. Adult beetles eat up to 150 aphids per day. Some feed on scale insects, mealybugs, spider mites, and whiteflies. A small number of ladybugs eat fungal spores. In addition to animal food, the menu of these insects includes plants, their pollen and nectar.

Ladybugs reproduce only if there is enough food. Females lay eggs on the underside of leaves; one clutch can contain from 10 to 30 yellow eggs. One female can lay 400 eggs. Clutches of laid eggs are usually located near. Ladybugs that hunt coccids lay their eggs in the body of the pest, under its shell.

A week later, the larvae hatch from the eggs, they have dark color and elongated shape. The larvae must feed well, so the larva of the seven-spotted ladybird is able to destroy 800 aphids. Up to five stages of growth and larval formation occur before pupation, which begins after 3–6 weeks.

The pupae are round in shape, orange or black in color, and are attached to leaves or tree trunks. The pupal phase lasts from four to nine weeks; at the end of this period, yellow-orange beetles hatch with barely visible spots on the elytra.

The period of the full development cycle of ladybugs ranges from one to three months. In one year, these insects can produce one or two generations.

Maintaining favorable living conditions for ladybugs on the site is not difficult at all. When fighting pests in gardens and vegetable gardens, it is better to refrain from using chemical control agents. Aphids should not be completely destroyed in the spring, as this will deprive the adult generation of ladybugs of food.

Availability on personal plot A sufficient number of trees, bushes, and hedges will provide ladybugs with wintering places. Heaps of brushwood, fallen leaves, woodpiles, birdhouses, walls of sheds and other buildings left in the garden can become a haven for an entire colony of ladybirds during the winter.

Based on materials from the site: http://ayatskov1.ru/