Ladybug Love!
If you don't utilize ladybugs in your garden currently you are missing out on a steady, dedicated garden worker who will toil endlessly for you.We love ladybugs because they just are such hard workers. Especially if you hate aphids on your beautiful roses, just enjoy the pure pleasure of watching these fierce killers do their work.By the end of their 3-6 week life, (although some may live 2-3 years in the wild), a ladybug may consume 5,000 aphids!
Coccinellidae or Ladybugs are also known as ladybirds or lady beetles.They appear as half-spheres, tiny, spotted, round or oval-shaped domes, with short legs and antennae.Their distinctive spots and attractive colors are designed to make them unappealing to predators...and they show off their colors and spots proudly! This phenomenon is called aposematism. Their coloring is a reminder to any animals who have tried to eat one before that "Back off! I taste awful!". Ladybugs can secrete a fluid from joints in their legs which gives them a foul taste and can be a toxin to their predators. A threatened ladybug may both play dead and secrete the unappetizing substance to protect itself.
Size Relative To A Paperclip
An interesting theory is that Mary, Mother of God (Our Lady) was often depicted wearing a red cloak in early paintings. The spots of the seven spot ladybug were said to symbolize her seven joys and seven sorrows.
More on ladybugs tomorrow!
1 comment:
I like the comparison of Mary with a ladybug.
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