From the Manufacturer
Discover the ladybug metamorphosis in the Ladybug Land. Send in the included coupon and receive your fascinating Pink Spotted ladybug larvae by mail. The see-through domed habitat allows you to get a bug’s eye view as you watch the small larvae eat and drink from special gels, form cocoons, and emerge as adult ladybugs. Includes sturdy Ladybug Land habitat, magnifier dome cap, coupon for 15 to 20 ladybug larvae with special food and complete instructions. (more…)
Ladybugs, the natural pest control. Ever wonder what lady bugs can do for your garden?. There are a myriad of treatments that can help you create greener lawns and gardens in an environmentally friendly way. One of the best ways to do so, is by using the same methods that the natural world uses. Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybird beetles, are a very beneficial group of insects widely used for biological pest control. The natural enemy of many garden pests and most famous for their control of aphids, ladybugs will also consume large numbers of whitefly, mealybugs, scales, mites and many other soft bodied insects as well as bollworm, broccoli worm, cabbage moth and tomato hornworm. Ladybugs will consume anywhere from 1,000-5,000 aphids in it’s lifetime, including larval and adult stages. There are about 400 different types of ladybugs in the Coccinellidae family in North America and about 4,000 species worldwide — the most common beneficial species in North America is the Convergent Lady Beetle . Aphid warrior, bringer of money or good fortune, and favored insect of the Virgin Mary, people have shown a fondness for ladybugs for hundreds of years. Ladybug adults are small (usually less than 1/4″ long), oval-shaped winged insects. These shiny insects are usually red with black spots or black with red spots on the wing covers — the number of spots identifies the type of ladybug. As ladybugs age, the color of the spots fade. Like many brightly-colored insects and animals, ladybugs are distasteful to predators, and birds are the major predator of the ladybug. Ladybugs will play dead when threatened, and when disturbed may force blood out through their joints and other weak areas in their exoskeleton, an adaptation called “reflex bleeding”. Their blood contains toxic alkaloids, and has a distinct odor. Possibly because of these chemicals, people in pre-Industrial Europe used ladybugs as a cure for measles and colic, not to mention mashing them and stuffing in cavities to cure toothaches. Adult females usually lay their clusters of eggs in the vicinity of aphid, scale, or mealybug colonies. The alligator-like larvae are spiny and black with bright spots. After feeding on insect prey for several weeks, the larva pupates on leaves. Adults tend to move on once pests get scarce, while the larvae remain and search for more prey. Depending on the species, ladybugs spawn at least one generation per year and various stages can often be found during the summer months. Adults of some species overwinter by hibernating in large groups often under leaf litter and other debris.
Portable habitat for on-the-go fun! Vented, domed habitat with colorful playground equipment. A habitat for every kid’s favorite bug! Ladybugs not included. Ages 4 and up.