The seven-point ladybug is a small bug, but a great helper

Beetles from the ladybug family are clearly visible on leaves, flowers and grass. Their convex red-black bodies flicker among the greenery of parks, gardens and vegetable gardens. The attractive coloration of the insect is actually warning. In case of danger, the beetle releases a poisonous liquid. It is not harmful to humans, and birds do not risk hunting small bugs. Attentive fauna lovers notice that the pattern on the back of ladybirds differs in the number of dots. The number of black spots on the elytra ranges from 2 to 28. The seven-dot ladybug is the most common species that is found in parks, fields and gardens.

Morphological description

The seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinellaseptempunctata) is a species found throughout Eurasia. This species is a frequent guest in gardens. Insects live wherever there is food for them - aphid colonies. The body shape of an imago is half a sphere. Convex hard elytra of bright red color. The most saturated color in young adults, with age it dims. Black dots are distributed in 3 on each of the elytra and one common, located near the scutellum. The length of the imago is 7-8 mm.

Interesting fact. The legend about the origin of the name of the insect says that it was sent in response to prayers for help in controlling pests. Seven points symbolize the joys and sorrows of the Virgin Mary.

The small head is fixed to the prothorax. The eyes are complex, faceted, medium sized. The head, chest and lower torso are black. There are two white spots on the convex, transverse pronotum. Antennae are black, club-shaped. The organ of smell is flexible and mobile. Hind wings well developed, darkened. Thanks to them, adults fly long distances. Three pairs of legs with claws and bristles allow you to move around the grass and stems, crawl on a vertical surface.

Insects have developed several protective mechanisms. In addition to the precautionary coloration, the cows pretend to be dead. They press limbs to the body, fall and freeze. One of the ways to scare away the main enemies (spiders, large insects) is the release of acutely smelling fluid from the joints of the legs.

Spread

Coccinellaseptempunctata is found in the steppe zone of Russia, in Siberia, Primorsky Territory. The insect lives in the gardens and parks of Europe, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Mongolia, China and Korea. A popular species is common in India and North Africa.

Interesting fact. To control the aphid population, a seven-spotted cow was imported into the United States. The insect is poorly acclimatized in North America. Beetle has taken root in only a few states: Ohio, Tennessee, Massachusetts, New Hampshire.

Lifestyle & Reproduction

Insects live apart. Collected in groups only during breeding and wintering. The mating period of ladybirds falls at the end of spring and the beginning of summer. It is important for the female to have a sufficient supply of nutrients necessary for the formation of offspring. If she did not eat enough, she avoids mating.The male is looking for a partner for secreted pheromones.

A fertilized female does masonry on the bottom of the leaves. A place is chosen near the aphid colony. The eggs are orange, elongated. In each clutch up to 50 pieces. The eggs are quite large in length 1.2 mm, are fixed in an upright position. In total, the female lays 250-1000 eggs in her life.

The development time of the embryo depends on temperature - at 15 ° it is 4 days, at 30 ° - 2 days. The larva size at birth is only 1 mm. Its first food is the shell of eggs and dead embryos. Young larvae suck liquid from aphids. As they grow older, they eat the prey as a whole. After a month of active nutrition, it grows to a length of 8-10 mm.

The elongated segmented body is painted in dark gray. The head is yellow; there are yellow spots on the sides of the chest and abdomen. The body of the larva is covered with growths ending in black hairs. Movable limbs provide mobility. A voracious larva actively hunts aphids and eats its eggs. The development period includes a change of four ages and three molt. Then comes the puppet stage.

Interesting fact. In 1976, in England there was an outbreak of mass reproduction of ladybugs. Insects did not have enough food, they attacked everything. Cases of human bites have been recorded, but they do not pose a danger.

Before pupation, a fourth-instar larva starves for a day. With the tip of the abdomen, it attaches to the plant and pupates. Dolly of orange color with black spots. The stage takes 8-12 days, at a high temperature it passes faster. The pupa shell is torn along the back. A young seven-point ladybug appears with soft elytra covers. Her body is not painted. Full pigmentation takes about a week.

Close view

A two-point ladybug lives in Russia and throughout Central and Western Europe. The modest body size of 5 mm does not prevent the beetle from being an active aphid exterminator in fields, gardens and parks. The insect has been introduced to Australia to control pests. Ladybugs are light and dark in shape. The first is red or red, the second is black with red spots. The species is a known entomophage on fruit trees. Beetles prefer aphids living on apple trees, plums and peaches.

In mid-summer, point-to-point cows spread to other plants. They can be found on crops, grass, vegetables. Fertile females lay up to 600 eggs. For a year, 2-3 generations are replaced.

Interesting fact. Two-point cows are characterized by an abnormal sex ratio. In individual colonies, the number of females is 70-80%.

Ladybug pest or helper

In the world there are more than 4000 species of ladybugs. With rare exceptions, they are all predators. But some species of insects feed on plants, causing damage to agriculture. Phytophages prefer to settle in the tropics; in Russia, there are 3 herbivorous species: potato or 28-point, alfalfa and decapitate. Seven-dot ladybug pest or not? One can answer unequivocally - no. The beetle benefits gardeners by controlling the abundance of aphids, scaleflies, whiteflies and spider mites. 60-100 aphids are destroyed per day.

Information. Ladybugs are specially bred and used in the fight against pests of the fields. They are dumped in the centers of distribution of aphids by means of aviation.

Active pest hunting is conducted from spring to autumn. The life span of an insect depends on the amount of food, on average it is 3-4 months, but with good nutrition and favorable conditions it increases to 1 year. For wintering, beetles gather in numerous groups. They are hiding from the cold under plant debris, in crevices of stumps, under stones.

Natural enemies

Not all enemies can be scared away with caustic discharge and coloring. Beetles are attacked by various parasites - ticks, bedbugs, lacewings. Larvae and pupae are especially vulnerable. Adult beetles are affected by entomopathogenic fungi.