Ladybugs and Frogs Oh My!

Have you ever heard that if a ladybug lands on your hand it is good luck? Have you ever wondered why? People think this saying started during the middle ages, there was a huge infestation of insects in the land of the farmers in Europe. The insects were destroying the crops. The farmers prayed for help and it is said that soon the ladybugs arrived to their farms and ate away all the insects who were infesting the crops. 2

What about frogs? Did you know that frogs are a symbol of good luck in Japan. But some Australia Aborigines & Native Americans believe that frogs bring rain. Have you ever heard the story about the Princess and the Frog? The frog found the princess’s golden ball in the pond, he convinced her that he would become a handsome prince if he was kissed by a princess. Well, that is not exactly how a frog changes during its life cycle….but it makes a good fairy tale. 3

Animals go through different stages during their lives Animals go through different stages during their lives. They are born, they grow, they develop into adults, and they have offspring (babies). Different kinds of animals have different life cycles. Many animals look just like their parents when they are born. Other kinds of animals start out in one form and change to another form as they develop. We usually think of butterflies when we think of animals that change forms. Did you know that frogs and ladybugs change their forms also? 4

Frog Life Cycle Let’s look at the frog life cycle first.

Briefly mention the name for each stage: egg - Tiny frog eggs are laid in masses in the water by a female frog. The eggs hatch into tadpoles. tadpole - (also called the polliwog) This stage hatches from the egg. The tadpole spends its time swimming in the water, eating and growing. Tadpoles breathe using gills and have a tail. tadpole with legs - In this stage the tadpole sprouts legs (and then arms), has a longer body, and has a more distinct head. It still breathes using gills and has a tail. froglet - In this stage, the almost mature frog breathes with lungs and still has some of its tail. adult - The adult frog breathes with lungs and has no tail (it has been absorbed by the body).

Stage 1: Egg The Mother frog will lay a whole bunch of eggs because most of them won’t hatch. Some of the eggs will be eaten by other small animals and birds, and some of them won’t become fertilized. Other eggs might become dried up in the sun or get broken in the water. The eggs that survive will hatch after about 7 to 9 days and begin the frog cycle and start the many life stages of a frog. But they don’t get to be frogs just yet; they have to go through the tadpoles’ life cycle first.  Stage 1: Egg

Stage 2: Tadpole Stage 2: Tadpole When frog eggs hatch they don’t come out as frogs right away, they have to start out as tiny little fish-like creatures called tadpoles. In the beginning 7 days or so of tadpole development, a tadpole will eat the egg yolk that is still left in its gut. The only parts to the baby tadpole are the gills, the tail, and the mouth. After about 7 days of tadpole development, the tadpole will begin to swim around on its own and eat algae from the top of the water. Stage 2: Tadpole

Stage 3: Metamorphosis Stage 3: Metamorphosis The tadpole's anatomy then gradually starts changing in anticipation of its new life on the surface. Hind legs will start to appear, its digestive tract changes to prepare for its forthcoming insect diet, it develops forelegs, and the froglet then hops onto land. This transformation process can last anywhere from 12 days to 3 years, again depending on the particular species. Stage 3: Metamorphosis

Stage 4: Adult Frog Stage 4: Adult At last the frog is fully developed. The tail is now completely off and the frog has changed enough to let it live on the surface. After 1 to 4 years, this new frog will be old enough to start breeding, and the cycle of life continues ever onward... Stage 4: Adult Frog

Ladybug Life Cycle What Is A Ladybug? Ladybugs are insects. All insects, including ladybugs, have three main body parts: a head, thorax, and abdomen. They have six legs, two antennae, and special compound eyes so they can see in many directions at once. Many insects have wings. Ladybug Life Cycle Just like all beetles, ladybugs go through different stages of life. Young ladybugs actually don't look anything like the pretty red and black adult ladybugs we are all used to seeing. If you saw one that wasn't an adult yet, you might not even recognize it. The stages that ladybugs go through are all steps in a very complex process called metamorphosis. (Other beetles, butterflies, and amphibians like frogs go through metamorphosis too

Stage 1: Egg A female ladybug lays a cluster of tiny yellow eggs. Ladybugs usually lay eggs on leaves where there will be plenty of food for the babies when they hatch. After about one week, the eggs will hatch and small odd-looking creatures appear! (Here is a picture of some ladybug eggs on the back of a leaf.) Stage 1: Egg

Stage 2: Larva Stage 2: Larva The odd-looking creatures that hatch out of the eggs are called larva (larvae if there are more than one). They have long bodies with six legs. They are mostly black with colored spots and they look sort of like little alligators. The ladybug will live as a larva for about two to four weeks of its life. During that time, the larva will shed its skin several times. Each time, the skin underneath allows it to grow a little bit bigger. While it is a larva, the ladybug will eat a lot; it can eat as many as 400 aphids! When the larva has grown as much as it needs to, it attaches itself to a leaf to get ready for its next stage of life. (Here is a good picture of a ladybug larva.) Stage 2: Larva

Stage 3: Pupa Stage 3: Pupa The larva attached to the leaf is now a pupa. It will stay attached to that leaf while it changes into an adult. The pupa does not eat or move because it stored up plenty of food in its body while it was a larva. After about five days, the pupa has changed in incredible ways and is ready to "hatch" again as an adult ladybug! (This is a ladybug in the pupa stage.) Stage 3: Pupa

Stage 4: Adult Stage 4: Adult Now the ladybug emerges from its pupa as a pretty adult ladybug! These are the kind of ladybugs we are used to seeing. It now has two sets of wings. One set of wings is the hard brightly-colored part that helps us recognize ladybugs. This hard set of wings is called the elytra (say: EL-LIE-TRA) and it protects the fragile flying wings underneath. The ladybug has an oval-shaped body, six legs, two antennae, a head with two eyes, a thorax that is called a pronotum, and an abdomen (the part of the body that is covered by the elytra). When the pupa hatches as a new adult ladybug, it doesn't have any spots yet and its elytra are wet, soft, and pale colored. They will dry out during the ladybug's first day as an adult and it will soon be a pretty bright color with black spots! Ladybugs can actually be red, orange, or yellow! Some kinds can even be gray, brown, or all black, but they are less common, and it's hard to tell they are really ladybugs since their spots are harder to see. Scientists have counted over 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs in the world! Each of these different kinds has special characteristics, such as color, number of spots, and the shape and size of it's body. As an adult, the new ladybugs can eat up to 75 aphids a day. Towards the end of the summer, ladybugs like to eat pollen and some types of plants so that they can store up fat for the winter. During the winter, ladybugs hibernate. To stay warm, they usually huddle together in groups and bury themselves under piles of leaves, grasses, or rocks for protection from winter weather. When spring arrives, the ladybugs will begin to wake up and come out looking for a tasty meal of aphids! They will begin to lay eggs that will grow into more ladybugs. Stage 4: Adult