Ladybug FAQ

Ladybugs in General

Q: Are all ladybugs female? Are there "manbugs"?

A: Ladybugs can be either male or female. However, it is extremely difficult for the average person to distinguish them.

Q: Is there any difference between the words "ladybird" and "ladybug"?

A: The meaning is the same. However, "ladybug" seems to be more popular in the U.S., or at least some parts of it, while "ladybird" is generally used in the UK.

Q: How many spots do ladybugs have?

A: It depends on the species. Some have as many as 20 spots, and some have no spots at all.

Q: What are the colors of ladybugs?

A:The most frequent color combination is red with black spots. There are also some species with the opposite coloration, that is, black with red spots. A few species are mustard colored or yellowish with black spots, and there are also some species that have a solid color, usually red or black. The legs are generally black.

Q: What is the origin of the nursery rhyme "Ladybird ladybird?

A: See the Rhyme page for a likely explanation.

Q: Do ladybugs have any enemies?

A: Yes. One of them is birds, against which they have some great defenses. Another one is parasitic wasps, against which ladybugs seem to have no natural defense.

Q: How do ladybirds protect themselves?

A: The have several methods: (1) they taste bad, (2) their bright colors serve as a warning sign to birds and other potential predators that they taste bad, (3) they can ooze a yellow, foul-smelling liquid from their leg joints if threatened, (4) they can bite and (5) they can "play dead."

Q: Are there any harmful ladybugs?

A: Yes. One of the very few is the Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis Mulsant), which eats the leaves of bean plants. Despite its name, it is also common in parts of the U.S. and Canada. Another is the squash beetle.

Q: What are aphids?

A: Aphids, sometimes referred to as "plant lice," are extremely small, soft-bodied insects that damage crops and ornamental plants by sucking out their juices. One of the easiest places to find them is on the leaves and stems of rose bushes. Their coloring and feeding preferences vary according to the species. Ladybugs are likewise fussy about what they will eat, and certain species specialize in eating certain species of aphids.

About This Site

Q: There are many websites about ladybugs. Why do we need another one?

A: Yes, there are many sites. Also, the number of sites has been increasing. In fact, the Google search engine recently listed about 303,000 results for "ladybird" and 473,000 for "ladybug." However, most of these are commercial sites that use the words "ladybird" or "ladybug" for product names, and relatively few are about the insects themselves.

The main purpose of this site is to serve as a "portal" for information on the web about ladybugs. It does this (1) by providing a general introduction to the topic of ladybugs (see About page) and (2) by searching for the best and most useful pages about ladybirds and providing links to them along with brief descriptions (see Links page).

Q: Why is my computer having a problem with some of the images on this site?

A: It is most likely that you are using a very old browser. This site uses some "png" (portable network graphics) images, which are an improved format that some older browsers were not designed to handle. Consider updating to a modern browser, such as Mozilla, Opera or Safari.

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