We have officially started homeschooling and let me tell you the learning never stops around here! Just last week the Crepe Mertle Trees began sapping and you know what that means?
LADYBUGS!!!
They love to lay their eggs on the sappy trees so I get to share with you what we have witnessed the first week of fall.
I photographed the following photos over a 2 day period documenting the life cycle of ladybugs, it is amazing!
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| Ladybug eggs are tiny, smaller than a pin head. |
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| The ladybugs lay them in clusters |
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| just hatched larva are quite plain |
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| a larger larva getting ready for the next stage in becoming a ladybug, notice the beautiful orange color it has grown |
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| the pupa looks much like an adult ladybug! |
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| this side view, if you notice, the larva bristles slightly in view where it is attached to the tree |
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| An adult ladybug! |
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| A couple more, notice the color difference, younger ladybugs do not have spots. |
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| from a tiny yellow egg into a beautiful form of pest control |
Ladybugs are a great natural aphid killer. These photos were taken in a two day period of several different stages of a ladybugs life. A typical life cycle of a ladybug is between 3 - 4 weeks depending on weather. Eggs hatch in 3 - 5 days, the larva will eat aphids and other bugs for up to three weeks, then pupate which takes about a week.
Hope you enjoyed & I would love to hear what you think about my ladybug life cycle, so leave me a comment!
I would also like to note I should have the final schedule for Garden 118 Ready by the end of the week and will be posting it to Facebook. I have a whole new idea which I adapted from an issue of Bon Appetite Magazine and a few new classes to add for Moms to enjoy!
