Ladybugs By Shelli Carlson S2L1. Students will investigate the life cycles of different living organisms. a. Determine the sequence of the life cycle of common animals in your area: a mammal such as a cat of dog or classroom pet, a bird such as a chicken, an amphibian such as a frog, and an insect such as a butterfly.

Table of Contents All About Ladybugs Ladybug Anatomy Ladybug Life Cycle Time spent in stages of the Life Cycle Ladybugs and Aphids Types of Ladybugs Ladybug Spot Chart Ladybug Facts Bug Cam Bug by Jack Prelutsky Books about ladybugs Web Resources

All About Ladybugs Ladybugs are a kind of beetle. Beetles are insects. They usually have very small oval shaped bodies.  Most of them have red, orange, or yellow elytra (hard wing covers) and black spots. The wings under the ladybug's elytra are so thin that you can see through them. Some ladybugs have spots and some have no spots at all!  The number of spots helps to identify the kind of ladybug.   Like all insects, the ladybug has six jointed legs. There are special organs on their feet to help them smell.  The ladybug uses its antennae to touch, smell and taste.  

Ladybug Anatomy

Ladybug Life Cycle There are 4 stages in the life cycle of a ladybug. The egg stage lasts for about 1 week. The larva stage lasts for about 3 weeks. The pupa stage lasts for about 1 week. The adult stage can last for up to 12 weeks.

Average Number of Weeks in Each Stage of a Ladybug’s Life

Ladybugs and Aphids Many people like ladybugs because they eat tiny green insects called aphids. Aphids eat plants. People are glad that ladybugs keep aphids away from their plants!

Can you count the spots on each type of ladybug? Types of Ladybugs Kuwanae Propylea Convergent Seven Spotted Asian Yellow Ladybug Can you count the spots on each type of ladybug?

How many spots on each kind of ladybug? 20 14 13 7 2

Ladybug facts There are nearly 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs worldwide. There are 400  kinds of ladybugs in North America.  A female ladybug will lay more than 1000 eggs in her lifetime. A ladybug beats its wings 85 times a second when it flies.   Ladybugs chew from side to side and not up and down like people do. A gallon jar will hold from 72,000 to 80,000 ladybugs. Ladybugs make a chemical that smells and tastes terrible so that birds and other predators won't eat them. The spots on a ladybug fade as the ladybug gets older. Ladybugs won't fly if the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The male ladybug is usually smaller than the female. The Asian Lady Beetle can live up to 3 years.

BUG CAM Watch live ladybugs on Bug Cam. Click on the little ladybug below to watch these cute little creatures in action!

Bug by Jack Prelutsky On the window of the washroom, At our school the other day, A little bug was crawling in its buggy little way. I whispered for it to be quite and to not make any noise. You see, it was a ladybug And the washroom is for boys.

Great Books About Ladybugs! by Andreas Fischer-Nagel by Kathleen Weidner-Zoehfeld by John Henshaw By Eric Carle Great Books About Ladybugs! by Scholastic By David Schwartz by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries by Loretta Rizzatti by Michael Elsohn Ross     

Visit these great websites to learn more about ladybugs! Web Resources Visit these great websites to learn more about ladybugs! http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/insects/Ladybug.shtml http://www.sccgov.org/channel/0,4770,chid%253D195493%2526sid%253D12761,00.html http://www.kunafin.com/ladybugs.htm