Ladybugs are among some of the best-loved insects in the world. They are brightly colored beetles that have been the symbol of good in mythology. Ladybugs have even traveled into space!

Ladybugs, also known, as "lady beetles" or "ladybirds" are loved both for their beauty and for their usefulness in the garden. It is ironic that the ladybug is sometimes called the ladybird, since the ladybug's primary predators are birds. Ladybugs are relatively non-aggressive insects and will usually play dead when they perceive a threat. In the wild the ladybug commonly eats what many people consider garden pests. Ladybugs and their larvae feed regularly on aphids, mites and mealybugs. Adult ladybugs can eat an astonishing 50 aphids a day! Younger individuals eat about half that amount. Some ladybugs have also been known to eat honeydew, nectar, and pollen on occasion. There are other species of ladybug that prefer fungal spores to insects as their primary diet. During winter months, when temperatures fall and food becomes less common, some ladybugs will enter a period called "diapause", where they go into a period of little to no activity. During this time, the ladybug will cease to develop. Normal development will resume in the spring. The ladybug is one of the few insects that bring about a happy image to most people's minds. They are common in children's literature as well as in song. Ladybugs are depicted in fabrics that are used to decorate a variety of things. The presence of a ladybug is usually a good indication that spring has arrived.

There are over five thousand different ladybug species throughout the globe! The ladybug is relatively small and measures anywhere from .3 millimeters in length to 10 millimeters, depending on the species. The average ladybug will usually measure between four and eight millimeters long. They have oval shaped bodies and are usually an orange to red color with black spots, or in some cases they are black with red spots. Immatures will have darker more clearly defined spots than older individuals. Some species of ladybug are entirely dark, while others may have stripes instead of spots. The heads and legs of most ladybugs are retractable. Ladybugs have six legs, with three on each side. They have segmented antennae that usually have 11 segments. Some species of ladybug secrete oils from their joints. It is theorized that these oils serve as a defensive mechanism. Ladybugs all have functional wings. Some of the most common ladybug varieties include the Two Spotted Ladybug, the Seven Spotted Ladybug, and the Thirteen Spotted Ladybug. As is the case with many insects, the ladybug undergoes several different stages in its life. It begins as an egg and then develops into larvae. From the larval stage they enter into the pupal stage and then finally emerge as adults.

Ladybugs are found in a wide range of habitats and are common across the globe. They can be found in gardens, forests, fields, grasslands, and occasionally they are seen inside the house. In 1999 NASA sent four ladybugs into space with aphids. Researchers were interested in studying how the aphids would escape the ladybugs in zero gravity. The ladybug was triumphant and it survived its perilous journey into space! Interest in ladybugs goes back several centuries in Europe. Some mythology holds that the ladybug has supernatural powers!

Ladybugs are sometimes kept in captivity and can even be purchased for use in gardens. If you do not wish to purchase ladybugs, but wish to encourage their presence in your garden, make sure their favorite foods are available. If you feed them they will come! The most preferable food is of course aphids. If you are lucky enough not to have problems with aphids on your roses, there are other means of enticing ladybugs into your garden. Ladybugs may also be attracted by artificial foods such as sugar-water mixtures. Some people also add yeast to these mixtures. Ants are also attracted to many of the same foods as the ladybug and will often compete for food. If you control ant populations, you may increase the presence of ladybugs.

Most species of ladybird begin their breeding season in May and it ends sometime in July; though it is weather and food dependent and can vary depending on location. Female ladybugs lay a large number of eggs. Some species will lay up to 1,000 at a time. Incubation usually lasts four days, though hatching is also temperature dependent. Eggs can hatch in as little as one and a half days if kept at higher temperatures of around 35 degrees Celsius, but incubation may take as long as ten and a half days in colder temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius. After the larvae hatch, many will feed on aphids, even though most are smaller than the aphids. Larval ladybugs will feed heavily; some will feed on as many as 300 a day before they go into the pupal stage.