Behavior of ladybugs

[Gilded]

I remember practicing golf (it sucked though ), and the just recently cut green was full of ladybugs (or ladybirds, if you insist), and you could see more coming from the taller grass. What causes this kind of behavior? Were they looking for something?

[5614]

probably looking for food in the freshly upturned and disturbed grass.

[Ophiolite]

Alternatively, even a primitive ladybird can be intrigued by the sight of Gilded swinging a number seven iron.

[Gilded]

"Alternatively, even a primitive ladybird can be intrigued by the sight of Gilded swinging a number seven iron."

 

Naturally, the iron 7 is my choice for a 1ft putt.

[coquina]

Gardeners use ladybugs to control other insects, so they may have been put there by the greenskeepers. My other guess is that there was a mass hatching of pupae.

 

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/beneficial/lady_beetles.htm

[badchad]

Anyone else ever notice that at certain times of the year you'll find tons of dead ladybugs indoors, or in window panes?

[Martin]

Gardeners use ladybugs to control other insects' date=' so they may have been put there by the greenskeepers. My other guess is that there was a mass hatching of pupae.

 

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/beneficial/lady_beetles.htm[/quote']

 

once out in the woods, in a nature preserve (no timber harvesting no nothing just nature)

I came across a big fallen tree that was covered with live ladybugs crawling all over it

 

I thought immediately of sex, of course, and that perhaps it was a big festival where they had all gathered to have a good time. So I looked to see if any gentleman ladybugs were mounting any of the lady ladybugs.

 

but I dont remember seeing any unions. they were just crawling around sometimes crawling over each other

 

it was a long time ago

 

I dont remember what time of year it was

 

it might have been a mass hatching of pupae

 

maybe the treetrunk they were crawling on was partially mossy and rotten, I think I recall that it was. so maybe it was a good place for larvae to live

[PersonCube]

eew... I hate ladybugs... The way their shells are hiding their wings... BLEH Nasty little critters, one of the few insects I strongly dislike...

[Martin]

eew... I hate ladybugs... The way their shells are hiding their wings... BLEH Nasty little critters, one of the few insects I strongly dislike...

 

if you were a green plant you would be really grateful for them

because they eat the little aphids that live on leaves

and suck the plant's juice

 

this must be very itchy and uncomfortable for the plant, like

mosquitoes, and if aphids get out of control they can really mess up

a plant-----I have seen it happen

 

so doubtless the plant appreciates it when ladybugs come and munch aphids, which are too tiny for you to see but which the ladybugs can see

 

 

If you will excuse my saying it, your comment about the wing-covers of ladybugs does not seem very observant because a vast number of flying insects have wing-covers---it is even so-to-speak normal for flying beetles of all types

 

watch one of them take off and you see that she first raises the wing covers and then deploys the wings, and then takes off, it is a regular routine like putting up the top of a convertible----if your car is a convertible

[YT2095]

yeah, it is a bit like saying that because Bacteria lokks bug ugly under a microscope that they`re bad, so you can`t live without tho!

 

personaly, when I find a bunch of ladybirds, I put them in my greenhouse, they look after my Chilis for me, AND they do a great job of it too

[ydoaPs]

plants are lucky they don't have nerves(in case they get bitten by a ladybug on accident). it hurts when those things bite.

[YT2095]

plants are lucky they don't have nerves(in case they get bitten by a ladybug on accident). it hurts when those things bite.

you ARE kidding right??

[ydoaPs]

it does. they bite like crazy in the summer.

[PersonCube]

I must stand up for myself about my post. Lmao. I was joking, I was just saying that out of a joke. I promise. I have no quarrel with ladybugs, but I am glad to see that everyone actually listens to everyone no matter the stupidity of the post! :-D But on a serious note, this is a question I was thinking about... are ladybugs 'shells' made mostly of chitin? Or is it something else? Because they are rather hard, which leads me to believe it is chitin... oh well...

 

Lmao, <Still can't believe you guys believed me... meh...

~Cubes

 

PS: Please don't hate me, I love you all!!!

[YT2095]

I`m uncertain as the Outer shell material, I do know that it is quite hard and it serves them well for their function

 

Yourdad: they are NOT Interested in you at all! I`ve many dozens over my arm and some even on my face whilst I move them, nad never ONCE suffered a bite

black beetles WILL attack you though, but only to the extent of the mandibles trying to cut you open on a finger (ther fail) you CAN FEEL the pinch and they wont let go until you breathe on them (they have a CO2 run off mode, it`s against Birds mainly).

a black beetle CAN draw blood but only on the back of your hand in a soft area, and you have to let it do it, as you feel it LONG before it happens!

 

I`m wondering if you`re refering to the same creature Ladybird as we are?

[Glider]

We had a heatwave here (UK) in 1976. One of the phenomena reported during that summer was the number of ladybirds, particularly the large variety. They had come in response to the huge numbers of aphids that year. The thing is, it hit the news because people were being bitten by them. Ladybirds can give a painful (but harmless) nip. They have no interest in biting humans. It turns out they were after the salt, but they did draw blood.

 

We prefer 'ladybird' to 'ladybug' because 'bug', although it has become a generic term for insects, is actually a specific term for insects with piercing and sucking mouthparts. For example, aphids, mosquitos and assassin bugs are bugs, ladybirds, having mandibles, are not.

 

As far as I know, the wing cases of most beetles are made of chitin.

[ecoli]

Last time I checked, a Ladybug isn't a bird either. It's more closely related to a bug then a bird.

 

I've never heard of ladybugs biting before..hmmm interesting.

[YT2095]

Last time I checked' date=' a Ladybug isn't a bird either. It's more closely related to a bug then a bird.

 

I've never heard of ladybugs biting before..hmmm interesting.[/quote']

1) it`s just a name dude, I`m more that sure a good 50% of them aren`t Ladies either, at SOME of them have to be Male

 

2) as for biting, neither have I??? and I`ve had 100`s (yes seriously) all over me and never once a bite or even an attempt, black beetle however... Yes, and then some! nasty little critters on the back of your hand, but I DID let it continue as I wanted to know if it Could draw blood, they can, but its less than you`de get from a pin pick, infact it wouldn`t even be visible unless you get up close.

it`s funny getting one on your finger tip tho`, they`ll hang on for ages even if you shake them )

you have to get them mad at you 1`st tho, they normaly run away after the 1`st few times you attack them (block their path or tap them on the back a few times).

[ecoli]

1) it`s just a name dude, I`m more that sure a good 50% of them aren`t Ladies either, at SOME of them have to be Male

 

I was just joking. I guess the humor gets lost when typing it out. I'm sorry.

 

Did you let a ladybug crawl over you or a black beetle crawl over your hand? That part confused me.

[ffsjoe]

Do ladybirds come in any other colours apart from red and orange?

[YT2095]

Did you let a ladybug crawl over you or a black beetle crawl over your hand? That part confused me.

yeah, I collect them to put into my greenhouse (they protect my Chilis from Red Spider Mite attacks).

naturaly I collect them by hand, but in the summer I like to sit in my greenhouse and read, and they often land on me and walk about.

as for the black beetles, I saw one doing what looked like eating, so I interupted it and it tried to eat my finger tip instead LOL

I have tough fingers but could still feel it pinching but it didn`t leave a mark, so I tried the back of my hand, and that DID leave a mark

 

these beetles ar a good 2cms long though.

 

as for the colors of ladybirds, I`ve only seen the red/orange and Yellow types, I`m not sure if there`s others?

[Gilded]

"Anyone else ever notice that at certain times of the year you'll find tons of dead ladybugs indoors, or in window panes?" -badchad

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/411.shtml

"Behaviour

Larvae and adults patrol plants hunting for insects to eat. In winter adult ladybirds congregate in large numbers to hibernate. They are sometimes found hibernating indoors, where they like to gather together in the corners of window frames." -from the site

 

Btw YT, do you have good relations to your neighbors with all the battery water drinking and ladybird carrying? "Ooooh my pretties, soon you all have lots of aphids to eat" ) And who said aphids are too small to see? Or then the Finnish aphids are just bigger than others, as some are pretty big. :>

[ed84c]

All aphids are visable, maybe those Sunglasses are for YTs short sightedness? No im not being sarcastic.

[ecoli]

I seem to remember seeing yellow...but it could have been just a light orange.

[YT2095]

All aphids are visable, maybe those Sunglasses are for YTs short sightedness? No im not being sarcastic.

have you actualy READ the posts in here?

 

I never mentioned Aphids at all!

 

Gilded, alot of fellow greenhouse users do exactly the same, it`s not an unusual practice