Their low metabolic rate, usually one-tenth or less of that of a non diapausing insect, allows them to feed off their store of body fat, so that they can survive through the long winter Most protect themselves against freezing temperatures by producing an antifreeze, an alcohol such as glycerol, sorbital, or mannitol. Most, but not all, diapauseing insects are inactive. Until diapauses is terminated, eggs do not hatch nymphs, larvae, and pupae do not go on to the next life stage and females neither lay eggs nor give birth. Alternatively you can lay a sheet below the bush or tree and 'beat it' (not too hard!) with a stick or dowel and then collect the ladybugs as they fall onto the sheet.Ī: Insects survive in an inactive state of arrested development known as diapauses. For tough, thorny, or woody plants you can carefully grab the ladybugs or tap them into a jar. If you do use a sweep net you will probably want to divide into two groups with one group 'sweeping' and then dumping what they find into a bin or onto a sheet for the other group to catch and place in containers. By sweeping your net back and forth through the plants you knock them off and they land in your net. A sweep net is essentially a tough cloth bag on a metal ring attached to long handle. For softer plants like grasses, weeds or flowers you will catch more if you use a sweep net. How to collect ladybugs: The best collection method will depend on the habitat. Other types of plants like wild flowers, weeds and even trees and shrubs can be home to many ladybugs too. Be sure to get permission from the grower first and make sure that the field has not been recently sprayed with chemicals. Crops that are known to harbor many ladybugs include forage fields like alfalfa or clover and grains like wheat and corn before it gets too tall. If you have access and permission, agricultural fields can make excellent collecting sites. The best places to look will be on or around lush plant growth (especially if there are aphids). Prime season will vary according to your local climate. Where and when to look for ladybugs: The best time to look will be between May and October. Whatever may be the story on the spots of the lady bugs, their spots decorate their bodies to make them appear beautiful to the world. There is another belief that when a lady bug sits on you, count the number of spots on it and you are believed to get that many numbers of dollars. If the spots are less than seven then you will reap much better. Several farmers believe that the number of spots on the lady bug that falls on you will tell the fate of the next crop and the extent that one can reap from it. There is a story in Brussels that when a lady bug sits on someone, the number of spots on that bug will indicate the number of children he will have. There are several myths on the lady bugs. The bird will remember the pattern of spots on the bug and will never want to eat another bug again. Lady bugs when eaten by a bird make it sick for a while and frighten the bird. The body of the ladybug has a chemical that is bitter to the taste. Many entomologists believe that lady bugs have a red color and black spots mostly to warn the predators that they are poisonous and they are not to be eaten. The various kinds of markings and spots on the ladybugs can be utilized for the identification of a particular species and in classifying them. Some ladybugs are found with black with red spots. There is an opinion that lady bugs tell the predators through the spots that they are bad and bitter when they are eaten. Lady bugs appear in red or orange color and they may have black or white or gold color spots. After the threat of danger has passed, the ladybug will resume its normal activities.Ī: Lady bugs are known to have spots for protecting themselves or for giving warning to others. (This is called reflex bleeding.) The bad smell and the apparent look of death usually deter predators from their small ladybug snack. By pulling their legs up 'turtle-style', and typically release a small amount of blood from their legs. Ladybugs can also protect themselves by playing dead. Colors can also camouflage and warn when there is nothing about the insect that is harmful. The colors can warn of danger such as poisonous, bad taste, or the ability to defend itself against the predators. Red, yellow and black are colors that warn predators that the insect they are about to eat might not be a good lunch choice. A: Nature has uniquely designed a warning system of colors.

Coccinellida defensive mechanism