Ladybeetles hibernating and bunched in the forest

 The 12 Spotted Pink Ladybug

This is a Ladybeetle native to USA's mid west corn belt. It loves to feed on Corn earworm

Ladybeetle  Life Cycle          

There are about 450 species of ladybeetles in North America but all of them have similar life cycles

 Ladybeetles love to climb up on the trunks of tree in the grooves of Cedar and Redwood trees to get some sunshine.

Being a Ladybug means a lot of close contact with your relatives. Someone pass the Aphids!

 

Ladybeetle females lay eggs on just about every type of plant there is. If there is a plant with pests to feed on there are likely to be ladybeetle eggs nearby. There are ladybeetles that prefer mild, warm and or hot conditions. Each takes their role in feeding on a wide range of pests during the growing season.

After hatching from their eggs ladybeetles feed as larvae for 3 weeks or more, depending species and climate. Larva are similar in that regardless of length, 1/8" to 5/8"  they have yellow, red or orange markings on the backs.

 Bottom a colony Aphids. Because Aphids are typically born as females and do not need males to reproduce their populations can quickly explode. Aphids are the primary food of most of the Ladybeetles. They will feed on most other soft bodied pests. 

Bottom, Adult Ladybeetles feed on Aphids in an alfalfa  field. Hay and pasture fields produce millions of new adult ladybeetles each year.  

         Ladybugs