hummingbird3172
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 22 May 2007
Location: Zone 9b Saint Cloud, FL
Posts: 269
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:27 pm Post subject: Ladybugs to the Rescue! |
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My superbells have been rescued! They were getting covered with icky orange aphids and I was in desperate want for some ladybugs. I was even about to order some, which is kind of pricey but that very day I found a ladybug sleeping on a palm frond. I moved her to my superbells and she got to work. Later I noticed several other ladybugs (different types too) feeding. The next day I saw ladybug eggs:
Little clusters of bright yellow eggs.....it has been a few days and now they are hatching:
I've read that they eat the egg cases and then go to work eating aphids. Mama ladybug (ladybugs) laid eggs on many leaves so I will not have to order any! The larva are supposed to be even better aphid eaters!
It will be fun to watch the cycle!
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~Anna 
Last edited by hummingbird3172 on Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:59 pm; edited 1 time in total
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dooley
Official Garden Turtle
Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Location: Arizona, U.S.A (Map)
Posts: 3246
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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Wow! I don't think I've seen ladybug eggs or even thought of looking for them. I haven't seen but one or two this year. Last year they seemed to be every where you looked. They are such a neat looking bug. Dooley
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jubabe296
Official Garden Fairy
Joined: 18 Mar 2006
Location: south central Texas (Map)
Posts: 1180
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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I haven't seen any ladybugs around here this year. I hope they show up soon! I will have to look for the eggs now that I know what to look for!
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 "Cat's motto: No matter what you've done wrong, always try to make it look like the dog did it."
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hummingbird3172
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 22 May 2007
Location: Zone 9b Saint Cloud, FL
Posts: 269
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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If you notice ladybugs feeding on aphids--especially if you see more than one, check underneath the leaves for the eggs. Mine are in a hanging basket so they are pretty easy to find. The larva will be stuck there since they won't be able to fly...I may more some to my other aphid infested areas.
As they grow I think they are going to look like this:
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~Anna
Last edited by hummingbird3172 on Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:06 pm; edited 1 time in total
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jubabe296
Official Garden Fairy
Joined: 18 Mar 2006
Location: south central Texas (Map)
Posts: 1180
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info Hummingbird! I'll definitely be on the lookout!
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"Cat's motto: No matter what you've done wrong, always try to make it look like the dog did it."
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teddybear
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Location: zone 6B, TX
Posts: 299
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the pics. I've killed several eggs thinking they were bad bugs. I'll be more careful now. THANK-YOU!
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Happy Growing!
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hummingbird3172
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 22 May 2007
Location: Zone 9b Saint Cloud, FL
Posts: 269
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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 You're welcome!
I think the Mom is a Multicolored Asian Ladybeetle:
Or she might be this one:
Which I think is a Spotless Ladybug, because it didn't have spots, but some other types don't either. The one without spots was quite fat, so she may be the one...but then there are sickening number of aphids on this plant.
This ladybug is called a Stabbed-Twice Ladybeetle:
What a name!
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~Anna
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teddybear
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Location: zone 6B, TX
Posts: 299
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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I never knew there were so many. Maybe I should get a bug book and pay more attention outside.
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Don't Worry....It could be Worse!
Happy Growing!
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hummingbird3172
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 22 May 2007
Location: Zone 9b Saint Cloud, FL
Posts: 269
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't know either, I really had to search to find out about the black one......I thought they were all about the same, but with different coloring...there are some types that don't even look like ladybugs.
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~Anna
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stratsmom
Flower Fanatic
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Location: Southern Oregon (Map)
Posts: 816
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for posting the picture of the LadyBug larvae. It is kind of icky looking. Now that I know what it is I won't be so freaked out if I run across one!
Deanna
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hummingbird3172
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 22 May 2007
Location: Zone 9b Saint Cloud, FL
Posts: 269
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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You know, I am horrified that I used to play pretty rough with these when I was a kid...I didn't know that they were ladybugs...I called them alligator bugs. Only recently did I find out what they really were....
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~Anna
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bethie
Highly Skillful
Joined: 08 Jun 2006
Location: WestTennessee (Map)
Posts: 1593
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:12 pm Post subject: |
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I've always loved ladybugs, especially that black one. Here they are in abundance. They migrate thru here in the fall and a zillion end up in the house. One winter we went to paint the living room and there were a zillion on the backs of pictures and the back of the sofa. It was too cold to evict them so we just pretended we didn't see them.
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hummingbird3172
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 22 May 2007
Location: Zone 9b Saint Cloud, FL
Posts: 269
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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Bethie, you have a very warm heart!
I mostly find the asian ones or the solid red ones...I know that it takes at least a few hours for newly changed one to get their spots so I am not sure if they are the same....
Here are a few more pictures...showing how the babies have changed:
I've moved a few to another aphid prone area. They are growing pretty fast!
I'm guessing that they probably ARE the Asian variety.
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~Anna
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
 Moderator
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Location: Scotland (Map)
Posts: 10812
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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Anna I love the way you look after even the tiniest creatures in your garden. I hope they devour all those pesky aphids for you.
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hummingbird3172
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 22 May 2007
Location: Zone 9b Saint Cloud, FL
Posts: 269
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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 Thanks Eileen, I guess as long as they aren't horribly destructive they can stay....I try to keep some sort of balance. The helpful creatures do get preferential treatment though! 
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~Anna
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