Diet

These tiny predators are usually very welcome in gardens because ladybug larvae and adults eat aphids, mealybugs, and mites (which are garden pests). A ladybugs diet consists of aphids, mites, and scales, but nectar, pollen and honeydew may be consumed as well. Ladybug larvae can eat about 25 aphids a day; adults can eat over 50. Aphids are a ladybug's favorite food. You can also feed ladybugs moth eggs or a diet mix, but you will have to order these from a store. Ladybugs chew form side to side and not up and down like people do. For garden growers, ladybugs may be considered a boon, as they feed primarily upon forage-attacking insects. There are about 5,000 different species of ladybugs throughout the world. A common species is the two-spotted ladybug; it is orange red with one black spot on each wing cover.

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December 2008

Created by Melinda Peters