
The adults and larvae are voracious eaters of aphids. It can be found in many crops, but is particularly common in gardens and field crops, rather than on trees and shrubs. It is now widely distributed in North America and a common species. The sevenspotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata, is the lady beetle of nursery rhymes, an introduced species from Europe. Most states coast to coast between Canada and Mexico. Europe - UIG-961-13-JML03662 from agefotostocks.
#Coccinella septempunctata in garden download#
This lady beetle can feed on pollen and nectar in addition to insect prey. Download and buy this stock image: Seven-spot ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata, on flower in garden. Beetles overwinter as adults in leaf litter.Īphids, mites, caterpillars, insect eggs, other soft-bodied insects.Ĭan be found on leaves, stems, and flowers in backyard gardens, crop fields, meadows, and woodlands. Eggs hatch in 5-7 days into larvae Larvae complete four instars over 10-30 days before pupating on plant leaves or stems. They have turned up in supermarket flowers and at Covent Garden Market, in spider-webs, on ivy, in lime trees and. Larva: Gray with orange spots on abdominal segments 1 and 4.įemale beetles lay 15-25 yellow oval eggs in clusters on leaves or stems. Country notebook: Coccinella septempunctata.

There are seven black spots total, three on each wing cover and one central spot at the base of the pronotum. Pronotum is black with large white spots on each side.
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To identify species, examine characters on both the pronotum, a plate that covers the thorax, and the wing covers, which protect the abdomen, for spot and color patterns.Īdult: Round and red. The seven black spots are made by 3 spots on each elytron plus one spot on the suture, at the junction of the scutellum. Most ladybugs voraciously consume plant-eating insects, such as aphids, and in doing so. Young larvae of the seven-spot ladybird usually also consume smaller prey by biting them and then sucking them dry. The freshly hatched Coccinella septempunctata larvae are very hungry and, depending on the aphid species, eat up to 1200 aphids during their development period, while adult seven-spot ladybirds only eat up to 150 aphids per day.

But farmers love them for their appetite. Seven-spot ladybirds purposefully lay their eggs on plants that are already infested with aphids. From out friends over at The Community Gardens website: Many people are fond of ladybugs because of their colorful, spotted appearance.

Like all insects, lady beetles have three body regions a head, thorax and abdomen. Coccinella septempunctata By LCG DecemMarch 3rd, 2020 No Comments. Lady beetles are predators as both a larva and adult. These insects are generally called ladybugs or lady beetles.
