The ladybug got its name due to its rich and bright color. In Latin it sounds “coccinellidae” - from “coccineus”, which means “scarlet”. The popular nickname given to this insect testifies to people’s sympathy for this insect. The Czechs, for example, call it the sun, the Germans call it the bug of the Virgin Mary.
Similar names are used by Latin Americans, who refer to it as St. Anthony's cow.
The exact origin of the Russian-language name is unknown. Some researchers say there may be a connection between the insect's tendency to secrete milk when threatened. In fact, this substance is toxic and is a hemolymph that repels predators. The word “God’s” is a kind of symbol of harmlessness and meekness.
Other scientists believe that these insects got their name because they protect the crop in every possible way by destroying pests.
External features
An adult specimen measures from 4 to 10 mm. The body shape of these insects is flat below, round, oval and strongly convex above. Some species have a surface covered with miniature hairs. The body has the following structure:
- head;
- pronotum, consisting of three sections;
- breast;
- paws - three pairs;
- abdomen;
- elytra and wings.
The head is miniature in size, articulated with a fixed prothorax, and is sometimes elongated (depending on the type of insect). The eyes are large, the antennae include from 8 to 11 segments, and are quite flexible. The pronotum is transverse in structure, convex, and has a small notch in front. Often spots of various shapes are found on top. The metathorax is almost square when compared with the elongated mesothorax and prothorax.
There are a total of 6 paws of moderate length. On each of them there is one segment of a hidden type and 3 obvious ones. Using them, the insect is able to move along plant stems.
The abdomen includes from 5 to 6 segments, which are covered with segments in the form of half rings. They are called sternites.
Ladybugs use their two hind wings to fly. Over the long centuries of evolution, the front ones have turned into hard elytra. Now they play the role of a protective shell while the bug crawls along the ground. Cantharidin, which is a caustic liquid yellow color, adults are used to scare away birds and other predators. It has a specific smell and works quite effectively.
Also, the bright colors have a frightening effect on potential ill-wishers. The color of the insect can be deep red, yellow, dark blue, black or brown. The spots on the skin can vary in configuration and be red, white, or yellow.
U individual species the spots merge, forming peculiar patterns, while in the rest they are completely absent. Often, a pattern on the pronotum can indicate the sex of the beetle.
Classification by type
In total, the family unites more than 4000 species, divided into 7 subfamilies, which, in turn, unite 360 genera. You can identify the most interesting and original-looking representatives:
- Two-point. The body length of this beetle is 5 mm. The elytra are dark red and have large black spots. The anterior carina on the prothorax is absent. The front wall has a yellow border on the side, and this part of the body itself is black.
- Seven-point. In the territory European countries this type is the most common. Its dimensions vary from 7 to 8 mm. The elytra are red, there is one at their base. white spot miniature sizes and 3 larger black ones. A seventh spot is found on the cheek.
- 12-point. This beetle is 6 mm long. The elytra are red or pink, and each of them has 6 dots.
- 13-point. Their body is elongated, the size ranges from 5 to 7 mm. There are 13 spots on the red-brown wings, some of which are combined with each other.
- 14-point. The main color of this species is black or yellow. If the wings are colored yellow, then their points are black, and vice versa. The body has a length of up to 3.5 mm. This species is found in European countries.
- Asian. The length from the head to the edge of the abdomen is 7 mm. There are two subspecies, one of which has yellow wing covers and black spots. They can be small or large in size. The prothorax is white in color and decorated with a black pattern. The second variety has black elytra, on which 19 red or orange spots.
- Changeable. The body size reaches 5.5 mm. The pronotum is black, decorated with two yellow spots. There is also one large spot near the shield. A yellow border frames the edges of the front wall.
There are other varieties, worthy of attention. The ocellated ladybug is a fairly large insect. Its body length can reach up to 10 mm. The head and back in front are black, decorated with yellow dots. The presence of light rims on the elytra is characteristic feature. Another type is the 24-spot alfalfa, a pest of agricultural crops. Little beetle It has total length body no more than 4 mm. Its body is red, strewn with 24 small black spots.
The dotted species is considered quite rare. Thin and small villi cover its brown or red body. An adult is rarely larger than 4.5 mm. There are no characteristic points here.
At the same time, several shade variations are provided for the genus Sospita. The Halyzia sedecimguttata variety has an orange body color and many white dots. You can see it at British Isles and in some European countries. Anatis labiculata is characterized by a light gray or white body color. Halmus chalybeus - unique look with a blue color, living in Australia.
Distribution area
These unique insects were able to spread throughout climatic zones and are present on all continents. They cannot be found only in Antarctica and any other areas where permafrost prevails. They live in Europe and the CIS countries. Exotic species found in Pakistan, India and South America. They live in the USA and Canada, as well as in Asian countries.
Some species like to live on plants where a colony of aphids lives. Others settle on reeds and sedges growing along rivers and other bodies of water. Finally, still others live on field plants.
Regardless of belonging to any species, these bugs prefer to lead an isolated lifestyle. They gather together only for wintering and migration, as well as during the mating season. Ladybugs are considered heat-loving insects, so most of the individuals found in temperate latitudes, moves to warm countries for the winter, flocking into huge flocks.
At the same time, some of them prefer to lead a sedentary lifestyle. They hibernate in huge groups of up to tens of millions of individuals. If you weigh such a mass, you can get several tons. This wintering method protects insects from unfavorable conditions.
Typically, ladybugs prefer to live under leaves, tree bark, and climb under stones. When talking about how long these beetles live, it is necessary to evaluate the conditions. If they have enough food, some individuals can live for a year or more. When there is not enough food, the lifespan can be reduced to several months.
Nutritional Features
Among the variety of ladybugs presented, almost all species act as predators. If we talk more specifically about what these beetles eat, then first of all we need to mention mites and aphids. Bright bugs also like to feast on:
- butterfly eggs;
- small caterpillars;
- insect pupae.
If there is not enough food, they even eat eggs Colorado potato beetle. There are certain types who like exclusively plant-based foods. They can use:
- plant pollen;
- mushroom mycelium;
- fruits, flowers and leaves.
Reproduction of beetles
Between the third and sixth months of existence, individuals reach sexual maturity. Their breeding begins in mid-April. At this point, they are gaining strength after hibernation or migration. A male can recognize a female by the special smell released during the mating season.
The eggs are laid by the female near the aphid colony. This is done specifically so that the offspring will be provided for necessary nutrition. The oval-shaped eggs are attached to the underside of the leaf. Their surface is wrinkled and painted white or yellowish. One clutch can contain up to 400 eggs. Unfortunately, at the end of the mating season, the females die.
Variegated larvae appear after a few weeks. They are flat or oval in shape, and the surface of their body is covered with finely structured hairs or bristles and marked with a pattern of white and orange spots. In the first days of life, the larvae feed on the shell of the egg from which they emerged, and a little later they begin to eat other insects, in particular aphids.
After the larval stage, which lasts from 4 to 7 weeks, the pupa is formed. It is attached to plant foliage by means of an exoskeleton. During this period, the laying of insect body parts is carried out. After 7 days, an imago appears, that is, an adult that is fully formed and ready for life.
Benefits and harms
Predatory beetles are quite voracious, and this carries unconditional benefit to people. They spread quickly on crops in gardens. They also inhabit cultivated trees in human gardens. There is evidence that the larva can destroy up to 50 individuals of harmful parasites per day, and adults eat twice as much. People have long noticed this feature and are specially breeding populations of beetles on farmland. This measure is considered effective for clearing plantations and fields of pests.
Later it turned out that there are more than 1000 species of ladybugs (lat. Coccinellidae) in the world. They live according to different places: some people liked the plants on which aphids are found (these are apparently the laziest, or better yet, pragmatic - food is always close at hand), others have their eye on the indescribable beauty field herbs, others liked the meadows overlooking the stream, some preferred to sit on the 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 by nature, but this does not prevent her from defending herself well - precisely thanks to appearance and behavior 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. 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!
Many people regularly find blackheads (comedones) and are looking for a way to get rid of unpleasant sensations and restore beauty and health to the skin. Plugs of sebum, epidermal flakes, and street dust floating in the air are most often located all over the nose, on the forehead, cheeks, chin, and ears. Comedones are considered harmless skin defects, but if not found in time effective remedy from blackheads, they can become the foundation for serious cosmetic problems and facial defects.
How do anti-blackhead products work?
Cleansing, disinfection, tightening pores- here is the algorithm for the action of remedies for blackheads.
First you need to unclog clogged pores. This task is accomplished by hard particles or special pore-opening complexes included in anti-blackhead products.
In the second stage, plugs of sebum, dirt and dead cells are “sucked out” from the pores. Remedies for blackheads contain components that can destroy dirt directly in the pores or pull out sebaceous plugs like a vacuum cleaning device in a cosmetology salon.
After cleansing, disinfectant and anti-inflammatory ingredients enter the active phase, and then complexes and substances that narrow pores.
After the first use of an effective scrub, lotion, mask, gel, fluid, the number of blackheads on the face is greatly reduced. Depending on the stage of the disease, it is possible to clear the face of comedones with medicinal cosmetics in a day or a month.
Remedies for blackheads "PROPELLER"
Soap is contraindicated for those with oily skin. A gel scrub cleanser is made to replace it. The product contains ANTI-SEBUM- complex of acids plant origin, capable of inhibiting the production of sebum and thereby preventing the formation of new comedones. You no longer need to squeeze out pimples and suffer from inflammatory processes: the gel pushes dirt and sebum out of the pores, and the alkali-free washing base rinses off, leaving behind refreshed and cleansed skin.
For a face affected by comedones. The product will logically continue the effect of a cleansing scrub - it is applied to cleansed facial skin. The cream has a delicate and light texture, which is why it is called a fluid. Contains a complex of plant extracts that help destroy bacteria and tighten pores: chestnut, eucalyptus, nettle. The fluid is suitable as a base for makeup and will keep the skin matte, as its effect does not stop for several hours.
Strips in the form of adhesive patches good for getting rid of comedones on the bridge of the nose and wings of the nose. The remedy against blackheads will work especially effectively on cleansed, moisturized, steamed skin, when the pores are as open as possible. Each strip is lubricated with a composition with an active complex of substances that draws dirt out of the pores and removes it, similar to cleaning by a cosmetologist. "PROPELLER" produces strips for different types of skin.
Express gommage for the T-zone for blackheads. Gommage gives results within 1–3 minutes. In gommage there is a complex of acids ANTI-SEBUM presented in the form of an osmotic gel - the optimal form of delivery active substances into the subcutaneous layers. That's why the product provides high-quality skin care for the T-zone.
Cream care for skin with enlarged pores “PROPELLER” makes it possible to provide complete care behind the face. The active plant substances of the cream are quickly absorbed, normalize the secretory function of the sebaceous glands, leaving the surface of oily skin moisturized exactly as much as necessary. The result is a radiant face without oily shine and blackheads.
Thanks to the convenient packaging, you can carry it with you and use it whenever excess sebum accumulates on the surface of the face. The recipe includes plant extracts (chestnut, eucalyptus, nettle), ANTI-SEBUM acids and other fast-acting components. With their help, enlarged pores are first cleaned and then narrowed to normal sizes - the skin becomes smooth, fresh and healthy. The problem of acne and comedones is gradually disappearing from your life.
Each of us has been familiar with the ladybug since childhood. This is a red bug with black markings on its back. The points are taken by the insect. However, this opinion is deeply erroneous, and the number of specks has nothing to do with the age of the beetle. How many points does ladybug and what exactly does their number mean? This article will be devoted to answering this question.
Where did the name of the insect come from?
Before you figure out how many dots a ladybug has, it’s interesting to know why the insect was named that way.
Let's try to figure out how many dots a ladybug has and what it depends on.
general characteristics
The size of the beetle ranges from 4 to 10 mm. The body is round, convex at the top. There is a head, pronotum, thorax, six legs, abdomen, wings and elytra. On the head there are big eyes and flexible antennae that allow the insect to feel everything.
The bug is different bright color, serving as a kind of protection from enemies. Its color can be yellow, red, black, blue. There are spots of black, red, yellow, white. Sometimes they merge and form patterns. Some representatives have no spots at all.
How many dots a ladybug will have on its back depends on the type of insect, but does not in any way indicate the age of the bug. You can often tell the sex of a beetle by the pattern on the pronotum.
Known species
The beetle family includes more than 4,000 species, grouped into 7 subfamilies and 360 genera. The most famous varieties:
- Point-to-point. This beetle is red in color and has two black dots 5mm long. The color of the pronotum is black, with a yellow border on the sides.
- Seven-spot variety. The name makes it clear how many black dots this type of ladybug has. The most common beetle. It has a red color, black dots, and is 7-8 mm long.
- Ladybug with 12 points. The beetle is 6 mm long, pinkish or red, with 6 spots on each elytra.
- Beetle with 13 points has a length of 4-7 mm, red-brown color, the spots merge.
- Insect with 14 points. The beetle is yellow or black with black or yellow dots.
- Seventeen-point variety. The length of the beetle is 2-4 mm, the color is yellow or dark yellow. Found in Europe.
So, now it becomes clearer how many dots there are on the elytra of ladybugs and what explains this. It depends on the type of insect.
I wonder how many black spots on the elytra of ladybugs are more common? The most common in nature are red bugs with seven spots. However, the variety of species of these insects is so extensive that ladybugs with a minimum number of spots are known - these are two-spotted. Well, the maximum number of points on the elytra of insects is 24.
Since ancient times, many stories and legends have been associated with ladybugs.
In ancient times, the insect was considered a messenger of the Sun deity. They even tried to predict with the help of a red bug weather. If the beetle left the palm, it foreshadowed a sunny day. If it remained on the hand, it promised bad weather.
In some countries it is prohibited to destroy these insects to avoid exposing yourself to misfortune.
The drawing of a ladybug was considered a symbol of good luck. It was applied to clothing and jewelry. Such images played the role of talismans and protected their owner from failure.
There are many signs associated with the insect. For example, under no circumstances should you chase away a arriving ladybug, so as not to frighten away fortune. A cow that flies into the house brings harmony and happiness to the family with its appearance. For childless families, the appearance of a bug promises imminent birth baby. If you count how many black dots are on the elytra of ladybugs, you can determine how many happy months are expected next year.
Every year the beetles fly to winter, and they choose the same places. Scientists still cannot unravel this phenomenon. After all, the life of insects is short, and new offspring of beetles fly to winter. How they manage to fly to the same places is unknown.
They are cannibals and eat their own relatives who have not yet hatched.
Once, an artist I knew, who took my “painting talents” under his wing, insisted that six dots must be drawn on the back of a ladybug. Even at that moment I guessed that this was not entirely true. As children, we even believed that the number of dots on the wings indicated the age of the cow.
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 to say, 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.
| With seven points. |
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.
Before we knew it, our son fell in love with ladybugs. It turned out to be so contagious that we, parents, suddenly realized that we were in awe of these things...
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! To find the answer to your question, use the form -