Relationship between aphids and ladybugs pictures

A ladybug eating aphids - the ants are not amused Photo Gallery by Antje Schulte at

relationship between aphids and ladybugs pictures

Ladybug Eggs. Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybird beetles, are a very beneficial group. They are natural enemies of many insects, especially aphids and other sap feeders. Photos: Ric Bessin, University of Kentucky Entomology. Jun 1, But the relationship between predator and prey is more complex than you might think. Aphids may be important to the survival of some ladybug. So, in this series of pictures, the ladybug tries to eat aphids, while the ants are trying to defend their lifestock. They viciously attack the much larger foe by biting it.

Common Kentucky Lady Beetles While there are many species of lady beetles in Kentucky, a few are very common in agricultural fields, home gardens and landscapes, and wooded areas. Coleomegilla maculata, sometimes called the pink spotted lady beetle has a medium-sized, oblong pink to red body marked with black spots.

relationship between aphids and ladybugs pictures

Both adults and larvae are important aphid predators but also eat mites, insect eggs, and small larvae. The beetles are a nuisance and can ruin rugs and other furniture with their secretions.

The Aphid

Fortunately they do not breed or feed inside the home. Harmonia axyridis, the Asian lady beetle Hippodamia convergens, the convergent lady beetle, a medium sized orange and black species that is commonly sold for biological control of aphids. It is a European species that was introduced into the US to aid in managing some aphid pests.

Coccinella septempunctata, sevenspotted lady beetle Plant Feeding Lady Beetles?

relationship between aphids and ladybugs pictures

There two species of lady beetles in Kentucky that feed on plants rather than insects. They are the Mexican bean beetle and the squash beetle. Both are very easy to recognize. Mexican bean beetle adults, which feed on garden beans and occasionally soybeans, have orange bodies with eight black spots on each wing cover, Squash beetles, which attack squash, pumpkin, and cantaloupe, have only seven spots. The larvae are also very distinctive and shouldn't be mistaken for predaceous larvae, because they have large forked spines across their yellowish orange bodies.

How To Control Aphids on Milkweed Plants- Monarch Butterfly

Squash Beetle Conserving Lady Beetles Lady beetles can play an important role in managing some insect pests in crops and landscapes. Here are some things that you can do to maximize their impact.

relationship between aphids and ladybugs pictures

Learn to recognize the different stages of these beneficial insects. Make insecticide applications only when necessary and use selective insecticides or limited treatments to avoid killing lady beetles. Add plants that can provide pollen and nectar for lady beetles. At this stage of the game, there is no need for males in the mix.

The sticky honeydew is a favorite of ants, who act like mini-farmers and protect the aphids from predators such as ladybugs. This leaves the aphids defenseless against predators such as ladybugs actually beetles from the order Coleoptera who are on the lookout for a tasty meal.

Ladybugs are more correctly called ladybird beetles or lady beetles, but the name ladybug is most commonly used. To learn more about other insects in this order, visit the coleoptera webpage. Lady bugs lay their eggs on plants near aphids and other food sources like mites.

Ladybug larvae are pretty interesting looking, almost like mini-alligators, and just as voracious! I took a photo of this little guy on a picnic bench just today. When this baby hatched it was smaller than a pinhead! You can barely see them with a hand lens. Hatched larva eat tiny critters like mites until they are big enough to eat aphids. I try to be careful when photographing them.

How To Control Aphids On Milkweed Plants

The larger ones can sometimes be convinced to climb onto a finger and are easier to handle. In nature, ladybugs are avoided by most predators, apparently because they taste terrible. During this stage, it undergoes metamorphosis, an amazing process in which the insect completely transforms.


relationship between aphids and ladybugs pictures