She’s Not a Bug or a Bird

Meet Coccinellidae, that oh, so cute insect who seems to appear more often on merchandise than in our gardens.

Ladybug

For the sake of consistency, and ignoring the fact that both females and males make up this population, we’ll call this beneficial insect “ladybug.”

Ladybugs are beetles and one of the largest groups of pollinators. They come in a variety of colors and the “spots” on their wings are not always “dot” shaped (see Keller in the resources for photos of the different types of local ladybugs). A ladybug juvenile looks nothing like the adult we know, resembling more of a flattened caterpillar with spider-like legs (check out Parker’s photos in the Resources). So be careful before taking drastic chemical action against what you may think to be a “pest.”

 The majority of ladybugs are insectivores, eating the “bugs” many don’t want in their gardens (or farms) – such as aphids, potato beetles, thrips, mealybugs and spider mites, among others. Ladybugs are, in essence, a natural form of biological control that help maintain balance in our gardens and other spaces. As is the situation with so many of our pollinators, native populations of ladybugs are on the decline. While habitat loss and degradation, as well as over- and misuse of pesticides play their role, the intentional introduction of the Asian ladybeetle has also decimated local populations.

In the areas we tend, we can encourage these beneficial insects to make a home by including specific plants such as herbs (like cilantro, dill and fennel), annuals (cosmos, geraniums and marigolds, for instance) and native and naturalized plants (like coreopsis, coneflowers and yarrow). It’s also important to plant groundcovers and leave some leaves undisturbed in the fall so that ladybugs have a place to hibernate safely during the cold months.

It’s small steps, taken collectively, that make all the difference.

Resources

Chamberlain, Pam Anne. No date. “52 Plants That Ladybugs Love – How to Attract Ladybugs.” Ladybug Planet. https://ladybugplanet.com/plants-that-ladybugs-love-how-to-attract-ladybugs/.

Keller, Scott. No date. “12 Types of Ladybugs Found in Illinois!” https://birdwatchinghq.com/ladybugs-in-illinois/.

Parker, Abigail. 2009. “Spotted Pink Lady Beetle.” Bug Guide. https://bugguide.net/node/view/318674.

The Lost Ladybug Project. 2002. http://www.lostladybug.org.