Hippodamia convergens
Copyright, Marlin E. Rice
While there are many
species of "Ladybugs," the Convergent Ladybug Beetle is the
most common. Sometimes called a "Ladybird Beetle," this
insect is easy to recognize. The Convergent Ladybug
Beetle is usually between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch long. Its
coloration behind its head
is black and white. The wings, called elytra,
are red or orange with 13 black spots. Its body is very
rounded. Convergent Ladybug
Beetles are found just about anywhere, including
forests,
fields,
and gardens.
Copyright, Albert P. Bekker, California Academy of Sciences
Convergent
Ladybug Beetles eat small insects and
arthropods
with soft bodies. Their two most common victims are
aphids and scale insects. They will sometimes drink
nectar
from flowers. This beetle will
lay its eggs on a leaf or stem near food insects.
The small yellow eggs (about 1mm long) will hatch
into larvae. Convergent
Ladybug Beetle larvae are black with orange spots.
They immediately begin feeding on
insects. Jack Kelly
Clark, Statewide IPM Program, University of
California The larvae will continue
to eat molting
(shedding skin) and growing larger. They will finally enter
a pupa
(resting) stage, by forming a round, spiky coccoon.
They will stay in this stage for up to twelve days,
depending on the weather. Adult
Convergent Ladybug Beetles will emerge and continue preying
on insects. A female ladybug will lay
up to 500 eggs in her life, usually laying a cluster of up
to 30 eggs at a time. The entire lifespan of this beetle is
a few months. Many generations
of beetles will be born in a year if there is a large food
supply. Convergent Ladybug
Beetles will hibernate
in the winter. They form huge masses of beetles and spend
the winter together under branches or rocks. They sometimes
enter homes, but do little harm. This beetle has few
predators, because when attacked it releases a foul-tasting
chemical from joints in its legs. A bird will try one, spit
it out, and never mess with them again. Adults will also
play dead. Larvae are preyed upon by the larvae of lacewing
larvae, another predatory insect. Convergent Ladybug
Beetles can cause problems for dogwood trees. They carry a
parasite
fungus, which is transferred to the tree when the beetle
lands on a leaf. Copyright, James
Solomon
Copyright, James Solomon
