Ladybugs

Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home…”, starts the old nursery rhyme. The rest is pretty tragic, so we won’t go there. Instead, let’s try to make them stay around! Ladybugs, known to entomologists and English people as ladybird beetles, are small colorful beetles that mostly are predators of pest insects like aphids and scale. Their iconic status in modern and ancient societies is well deserved. 

Numerous species of ladybugs live in New Mexico, with a few very common ones. Convergent, seven-spotted, pink spotted, and two-spotted ladybugs are the likely species in our gardens and landscapes. The Asian lady beetle, while technically not a ladybug, is common around here and it looks and acts like one so it counts for this! 

Adults seek out plants with aphid and scale infestations and begin feeding and laying eggs. Upon hatching, the larvae voraciously devour more of the pests while looking like tiny Gila monsters or alligators. The insects’ bright red and yellow shells advertise to would-be predators that these little beetles are toxic and should not be eaten! 

They can be purchased as biocontrol agents, but it is more effective to grow a diverse and healthy landscape with a variety of flowering plants to attract them. This is because the ladybugs that are for sale were “harvested” while in the huge gatherings they have every year for mating. Upon release, they often fly away – looking for the party they had to unexpectedly leave! Diverse landscapes host many food sources, so include lots of small-flowered perennials.

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