Observation Target: Ladybugs (or lady beetles) as beneficial insects.- Importance to Food & Agr: Ladybugs are very beneficial insects controlling harmful aphids. A ladybug can eat 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.
- Issues: Many native species are becoming rare—especially the nine-spotted ladybug, and scientists are trying to find out why.
- Observing Options: Presence, absence, species (if possible), numbers, larvae and adults, presence of aphids, arrival dates, and dates last seen.
- Citizen Science: Send photos to Cornell’s Lost Ladybug Project for identification and to help scientists protect them. We are hesitant to recommend chilling them, as advised by some, for photography—try burst mode on your smartphone instead for a moving bug.
While the Lost Ladybug project is one of the best projects, they are having some funding issues, so it may not always be available for posting. You can also report ladybugs on Journey North under Sunlight and Seasons and on Nature’s Notebook, you can report the convergent lady beetle, which is a pretty easy one to identify.
- Getting Started Tip: Practice taking photos of these quick little creatures so you can capture good photos for yourself and ones that will allow the Lost Ladybug experts to identify them.
- Additional Resources: See All about Ladybugs From Cornell.
