Ladybirds

Latest Update 20th August 2015.

Ladybirds
  • The botanical name for ladybirds is Coccinellidae of the superfamily Cucujoidea with about 6000 species classified in 370 genera worldwide. 
  • There are 57 genera and about 500 species in Australia with about half of them yet undescribed. 
  • Most species are predatory mainly on insect pests in our gardens and in agriculture.
  • Ladybird beetles are holometabolous insects, that is they undergoing four discrete stages in life including egg, larva, pupa and adult beetle. 
  • Of these stages, only the adult beetle is particularly mobile. Adult ladybirds use their wings to fly enormous distances to find new sources of food or partners with which to mate. 
  • Ladybirds live much longer (many months) as adults than they do in their earlier incarnations (a few days only).  
  • Ladybird larvae and adults actively search and feed on insects and other invertebrates.  They also feed on plant tissue and fungi.
In my garden.
  • Ladybirds are occasional visitors to my garden in summer.  They help keep aphids and whitefly under control and some Australian species attack powdery mildew infestations.
  • Unlike pollinating insects who are mainly insect pest predators in their larvae form, these guys are predators in the adult as well as larvae stages, and are not attracted by pollen or nectar in flowering plants.
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