Ladybug and aphid

Amazingly cute creation ladybug, which is often called the sun, is familiar to man since childhood. But as a child, he did not think about how much benefit this little creature brings, which has become for people a friend and helper in the fight against pests of the garden. One of these is aphid. In appearance, this innocuous miniature insect, together with its relatives, can cause serious damage to crops. Ladybird and aphids are not friends. Homeowners love the former and hate the latter. The reason for this is the simplest - the ladybug eats aphids.

A bit of history

People did not immediately begin to use the ladybird for their own purposes. At the beginning of the XIX century in the USA - the state of California, they accidentally brought a carapace fluffy aphid from Australia. Multiplying in incredible quantities, it became dangerous for gardeners who, using various methods and techniques, could not protect citrus trees from these pests. Aphid began to eat them.

Trying to find a way out of this situation, scientists began to study the nature of the relationship between a ladybug and aphid in their homeland, knowing that these beetles eat a scale and a powdery mealybug in food. Entomologists have found that a species lives in Australia - the Rodolia cardinalis. That she is the worst enemy aphids. It was decided to bring this species to California, which was successfully implemented. It took 2 years for the beetles to destroy the aphids.

Ladybug and aphid

Interesting!

But the leading position in this issue is occupied by ladybugs called Hippodamia convergens, which scientists call these predators. They are similar to their fellows, but differ in origin due to different environmental conditions. They are very voracious and can eat all insects in their path.

Varieties and Nutrition

Man knows 4,300 types of ladybirds, and only 370 of them live in North America. If they were not in nature, the hordes of aphids would have won and the gardeners had to look for other methods to combat these pests, namely, to use toxic chemicals. And their use in the garden is undesirable.

California ladybug

Their interaction with aphids begins immediately, they are looking for insects to eat. This is not always possible, since, being in the larvae stage, they ate the aphids. Therefore, a quite reasonable question arises about what else ladybirds can eat. Not finding aphids and its larvae, the cows do not disdain small caterpillars, eat spider mite, whitefly, shield and a worm.

But what ladybirds eat in the winter - many are interested. As soon as the first frosts appear, the beetles begin to migrate to the mountains.The place of their shelter are cracks and crevices in the rocks. Sometimes ladybirds become so much in the mountains that they cover them with a beautiful red pattern that looks like a carpet. Here, in the mountains, they overwinter, hibernating. With the advent of the first rays of the sun, they awaken and emerge from the cracks.

After the ladybugs satisfy hunger with pollen and aphids, eggs are laid in a place close to a colony of insects. In laying can be from 200 to 400 eggs. Their number depends on the power of the female.

Interesting!

The type of relationship between the beetles themselves is quite unusual. The hatched larvae quietly eat the neighboring eggs, of which their brethren have not yet appeared. In this way, they accumulate nutrients until they find eggs, larvae and adult aphids.

If earlier beetles were “sprayed” from airplanes over fields and gardens, today this practice does not apply. Pest control is carried out using chemicals and GMOs.