The Truth about Ladybugs

Ladybugs, or ladybird beetles depending on where you grew up or how accurate you like your common names, these insects are one of the few bugs not usually veiwed with imediate disgust. While the bright color makes them a favorite of ours, it is actually a warning. Ladybugs taste bad, really bad. These insects are major aphid and scale insect predators, from their crocodilian larval form into adulthood. This makes them an allie of gardeners and farmers, and ladybugs are commonly released as agents of biological control. However, many species common in North America are not native, including the asian and seven-spotted ladybug. They are out competing many native species. The covergent ladybug is one such species. Like the non-native species it is red with black spots. There are also many species that are quite different looking including the awesome twice-stabbed ladybug and the massive LeConte’s giant lady Beetle.My plea is if you buy ladybugs to release in your gardens, make sure they are one of the native species; you should also make your garden more habitable to native species by planting native plants, and don’t use or reduce the use of insecticides, so that these incredible little beetles can continue to eat those aphid pests for you.

Sources
Russell F. Mizell III (2007). "Impact of Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidea) on native arthropod predators on pecan and crape myrtle" (PDF). Florida Entomologist. 90 (3): 524–536. doi:10.1653/0015-4040(2007)90[524:IOHACC]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0015-4040. JSTOR 4494179.

Hagen, Kenneth S. (1960). "Biological Control with Lady Beetles". Plants and Gardens: the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record. 16 (3): 28–35.

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