Ladybird seven-point: a description of the kind and usefulness that it brings

Ladybird seven-pointed is known to everyone from the very childhood. Many babies are not afraid of this insect. They come up with a lot of tales and funny poems about him. This species was first described in 1758. This red insect, according to the observations of entomologists, is of great benefit to people. It destroys harmful insects that damage plants in orchards and gardens.

Where does this insect live?

Of all the species, the most famous is the ladybug seven-point. It can be found in all European countries, except the northern zones. In addition, this bug is in North Africa and even in Japan.

But in North America, the insect could not bring any special benefit. Despite the fact that it was brought to the continent, the red ladybird could not get accustomed. In North America there are only a few species that do not bring the desired results.

This insect prefers to dwell in an herb grove, as well as in forest plantations, meadows, fields, plains and ravines. It is in the autumn period that ladybugs form large column packs. The number of accumulated insects reaches several thousand.

Description of this species, features of development

Initially, the ladybird looks like a larva, whose size does not exceed 1 mm. Just one month she needs to move to a new level of development.

Then it already has a size of 8 to 10 mm. The larva of the larva is usually gray in color, but the head is yellow. The same color and specks on the sides of this insect. Torso has segments on which you can see black thorns with hairs.

In order to get food, such a larva can climb to a height of 12 m. Throughout the day for satiety, it needs to absorb about 100 adult aphids or 300 of its larvae. A month later the larva passes into the pupa stage. For the full development and maturation of the ladybug, it takes about 12 days. But it all depends on the temperature of the air: the warmer it is, the quicker an adult ladybird will turn out from a chrysalis.

Description of adult

Torso, wings and abdomen in adult insect black. Wings are mostly red or orange with speckles (7 points) characteristic for this insect. For this reason, the seven-point ladybug was named so. Three points are on the same red wing, and the same number on the second one. But the 7th spot can be seen near the head of a beetle.

Adult ladybirds begin to appear on the street already in the first half of June, when it begins to warm up. In places where heat comes faster, you can meet ladybirds in May.

Eat aphids and during the day can eat up to 60 adult pests. From several months to two years, lives a ladybug. Description of the larvae indicates that for growth and rapid development they eat much more aphids than adults.

Reproduction

Female Ladybug can lay about 1000 eggs throughout its life span.

Eggs in these insects are oval. They have dimensions up to 1.2 mm. The color of the laid eggs is orange. The form of the masonry basically looks like a small heap. At one time an adult female can lay off 20 to 90 small testicles. Basically, such masonry are in safe places, that is, under leaves, grass, at the base of branches.

A large number of ladybirds can be observed at the end of summer, when two generations of beetles have already hatched and developed. Larvae do not winter, as this period can only survive adults.

What are the kinds of ladybirds?

There are more than 4 thousand types known. Types of ladybirds are divided into 7 subfamilies. Of these, the most interesting and popular species are distinguished:

- Ladybird 2-point;

- 7-point;

- 12-point ladybug;

- 13-point;

- 14-point ladybug;

- 17-point ladybug;

- Ladybug Asian.

What does this insect eat and what benefit does it bring to a person?

The ladybug seven-point is a predator. At the same time, at any stage of its development, it eats exclusively by other bugs. Mainly eats different species of aphids, which lives on all kinds of plants and trees. In addition, the beetle eats eggs of other insects: butterflies, moths , etc.

Such a beetle can often be observed on fruit trees, currant bushes, as well as pine, aspen and bird cherry. The presence of such plants in the regions of our country indicates a large number of these insects.

Many farmers, to save their harvest, use ladybirds as a healer and a deliverer of aphids. On a hot day, the number of these red bugs increases, especially near water bodies, roads and sun-heated stones.

What do gardeners think about a seven-point ladybug? How to attract this insect?

The seven-point ladybug is a pest or not? Many gardeners, of course, will answer that they do not. Thanks to this small insect, it is possible to save a considerable amount of the crop. Aphids that eat and harm many plants are the most important source of food for the ladybug.

Those people who prefer not to use chemical compounds for destroying pests for their plants, believe that the best lady will be the ladybug. But for the benefit of this insect to be more palpable, on its site it is necessary to maintain appropriate conditions for the comfortable life of these red insects. For this purpose it is not necessary to destroy all the aphids in the spring, and especially to resort to harmful chemical preparations, because then the ladybird will not come. It is better to leave a few aphids so that our insect could refresh. This will attract ladybirds, and they will remain on your site for a long time, helping to fight with numerous pests.

Conclusion

Now you know what the seven-point ladybird is, how it looks, develops, how it feeds. It turns out that such a small bug can be of great benefit! In order to attract him to your garden or garden, you do not need to do anything special - it's enough to just let the natural processes run naturally. Remember that everything in nature is interrelated, so it is important to maintain this general cycle. It is also worth thinking about how to completely abandon the use of all sorts of chemicals to protect the crop. Nature can take care of herself, only help her a little!