What’s the Deal with Ladybugs?

If you’ve been purchasing ladybugs from us over the years, or if you are considering a purchase, you may have wondered why their availability has been so erratic. The reasons for this are very simple, and yet complex at the same time. But what it boils down to is that ladybugs, like many other things that people “love”, are the victims of their own popularity.

Bucky Bug

Ladybugs have appeared in folklore for who-knows-how-long, but it was the comic-crazed times of the early 1930s that introduced this little beetle to the world at large. During the doom-filled days of the Great Depression, people all over would find solace in the simple chuckles they’d get from the Sunday comics and the short cartoons played before movies. In 1932, Eric Duvall drew some characters based on ladybugs for a popular Disney movie cartoon series known as Silly Symphonies. These boy and girl ladybugs (Bucky Bug and June Bug) were immensely popular and became the first Disney character to appear in Sunday papers. This was arguably the beginning of the popularization and commercialization of ladybugs (To get an idea of just how astonishingly big and wide this commercialization has grown, Google or go to Amazon and put in “ladybugs”).

The truth of the matter is that ladybugs are far from the endearing little insects we’ve all been
conditioned to see. They’re much more Terminator than friend-of-the garden and have some nasty behaviors that should dispel the cute myth entirely. Firstly, they will devour any insects that they can get their hands on. It is a common misconception that ladybugs only go after aphids; they like aphids a lot, but they will take a meal where they can get one. This predatory behavior extends to beneficial insects that truly are friends-to-the-garden. If you are using beneficial insects, you should carefully consider the consequences before introducing lady bugs. Secondly, ladybugs have toxic tendencies. When threatened, they will excrete or spray an alkaline toxin as a defense mechanism. Many predators will spit them out at this point, but the nasty fluid is still in the garden environment. It stinks and can cause allergic reactions and asthma-related problems with humans. The author of this article eloquently says, “Ladybugs are not only homicidal maniacs, they’re walking dirty bombs”.

Another aspect of the ladybug that does not fit the popular cutesy image is their own larvae. Ladybug larvae are way more sinister-looking than their adult versions (they kind of look like mini prehistoric alligators) and their appetites are as voracious as any adult. According to this article, each one can eat up to 400 aphids in their 3-week life span. Here’s a video of a larva chowing down on an aphid.

The seemingly endless popularity of ladybugs has meant that certain species are becoming dominant, and the numbers of native species are dropping. The Hippodamia convergens species that we sell is native to North America, but it has become endemic in areas that it never was before. The reason for this is simple – Hippodamia convergens look like the ladybug people want to see. Much like the consumer preferences that have led to us having grocery stores full of perfect-looking (yet flavorless) produce, our gardens are filling up with a single species of ladybugs. Hippodamia convergens have no deference to native species of ladybugs; they will gobble them up as quickly as any other insect and then enthusiastically take over their established territories. In order to maintain a healthy environment, native species should be recognized and encouraged in our green spaces.

All These Are Ladybugs

So, what does this all have to do with the commercial availability of ladybugs? Several things – and all are related to demand that’s beyond the capacity of nature to provide. It may come as a surprise to many people, but the overwhelming majority of ladybugs that are sold commercially are gathered in the wild. This includes the Hippodamia convergens that we sell. So, no, there are not carefully monitored, sustainably conscious labs putting out the little beetles you buy for your ladybug release party. The fact that these in-demand insects are taken from the wild leads to several complications:

• There are no regulations, or oversight of any kind, on how ladybugs are collected. This has led to some egregious and over-the-top efforts to find them, including some people who simply dig up all the dirt and vegetation around where they think they’ll find beetles hibernating. This leads to habitat destruction and eliminates any possible shelter for future generations.

• Parasites and diseases that are present in the wild-caught population can be introduced to the micro-world of your garden and the macro-world of your geographical area. Although there is not enough evidence to know just how much a threat this is to the exposed ladybug populations, there is definitely the potential for serious problems.

• Weather-induced events and climate change directly affect the numbers of ladybugs that are
available. We have seen this most dramatically with the devastating forest fires on the West Coast. The beautiful and lush forests of the West have been the main source for our ladybugs, but many of those same breeding grounds have been lost to fires.  Most people are saddened by the mammals and birds that fall victim to fire, but few realize that there have been billions of insect lives taken as well. And when their sanctuary is gone, they cannot easily bounce back.

All in all, there are simply fewer ladybugs out there than there used to be.

You may be wondering why I am downplaying the benefits of ladybugs when we sell them, and that’s fair. The truth is, for all of the above reasons, we have been struggling with maintaining a steady supply from collectors that we are confident are harvesting ethically. We have made an internal commitment to this stand and will not have ladybugs available unless we are comfortable with their provenance and the sustainability of the collection sites. Instead, we would like to encourage our customers to consider using other beneficials for their pest control. Green Lacewings, for instance, prey on the same pest insects as ladybugs but they will stick around as long as there is food for them (unlike ladybugs who are notoriously flighty). Additionally, if our customers decide that they are committed to ladybugs, we want them to have the full picture of what these beetles bring to the table – responsible bug-parenting, if you will.

Take Care 

Submitted by Pam

What’s This Bug? The Asian Lady Beetle.

This little guy is the Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis). They are a non-native species of beetle that was introduced to our country a hundred years ago in a well-intentioned, but not well-thought-out, effort to help soybean farmers control soybean aphids. They are voracious aphid-eaters, so they did that part of the job well. But, they have also aggressively pushed out native species of ladybugs. This is not only true in the US; they are taking over large parts of Europe and in the UK as well.

First, let’s get down to the naming thing (which, for some reason, many people get hung up on): Asian Lady Beetles and what we call ladybugs are both members of the insect family Coccinellidae. All members of this family are beetles, what we call them is simply a reflection of where we come from. In the US they are ladybugs; in the UK they are ladybirds and various places know them as lady beetles. Asian Lady Beetles can be referred to as a Harlequin Ladybugs/Ladybirds as well. So, any and all of these are species of one family, no matter what name you give them.

While what we know as ladybugs are very recognizable in their bright red and black spotted shells, Asian Lady Beetles wear a huge variety of different colors and markings. The white marking found at the base of the head (it looks like an “M” or a “W”) can be a good way to identify these insects, but not all of them have it. Asian Lady Beetles, which can have spots, no spots, or even stripes, have an orange and black color palette as opposed to the red and black of ladybugs. 

Many people point to two things that set Asian Lady Beetles apart from ladybugs - that they bite/are aggressive and that they smell. Both of these assertions are a bit hyperbolic.

Yes, Asian Lady Beetles have pincers and can bite when disturbed, but they do not attack. And their pincers are tiny, so their bite can’t really harm a person. However, some people do have an allergic reaction to the bite that can cause everything from cough to hives. People who are sensitive to these creatures may not even need to be bitten, touching a beetle then touching one’s eye has been known to cause pink eye.

 Asian Lady Beetles are often said to have a noxious odor. While they do secrete a goo that has an unpleasant odor when disturbed, this behavior is common throughout the ladybug world. It’s a defense mechanism known as reflex bleeding and is meant to discourage predators. The excretions of Asian Lady Beetles may be particularly gross to many people, but they no worse (or no better) than other ladybugs. That said, their particular goo is known to stain surfaces like walls, furniture, or fabrics. This all becomes a problem only when they begin to gather in large numbers, particularly inside structures.

As winter approaches in temperate climates, Asian Lady Beetles begin to aggregate in ever-growing clusters to keep warm and seek out winter quarters. This is usually when they come into conflict with people because they tend to like the snug shelters that humans have made (why they choose human habitats is still under debate, this article gives some explanation). Once the beetles have chosen a spot to overwinter, they send out a pheromone trail that attracts others to their spot. This is why hordes of insects “suddenly” appear. These scent trails can last years, meaning some homes experience invasions every year. 

What’s a poor, beleaguered home-dweller to do? While the sight of large numbers of beetles in or around your home is disconcerting, they will not actually do any harm (unless disturbed, as previously mentioned). They do not bother food or belongings inside a house and they are not breeding either. They are simply hibernating for the cold months, after which they’ll move on to breed and feed. You should vacuum up the ones you can, but your best bet is to take action to keep them out, to begin with. During the still-warm days of fall, clear vegetation away from your house and seal it up well to keep Asian Lady Beetles and more out. Check out my blog on winterizing your home here.

It’s important to not view Asian Lady Beetles as “bad”. Yes, they are invasive, but they are here to stay and they are extremely effective at controlling pest insects on crops. Supplies of the type of ladybugs we sell (Hippodamia convergens) are dwindling rapidly. Some of this is due to invasive species, but the ones we get nest in the mountains of the West Coast and the devastating fires of the last few years have nearly wiped them out. It’s time to embrace other types of ladybugs that have the exact same eating habits. This includes not only the Asian Lady Beetles but lesser-known native species. Here is a fun project that helps educate people on the different species and locate “lost” species.

Take Care

Submitted by Pam

                                                                                 
                                   

                                                                                                       

 

Pt. 2 - These Zombies Don’t Eat Brains – But They Might Have Theirs Eaten.

In my last blog, I offered an overview of zombies in the insect world and showed you some of its stars. When writing that blog, I quickly realized that there is a whole Milky Way of zombie-making stars that should be shown. What follows are some of those stellar parasites that I did not get to before.

Dinocampus coccinellae: These parasitic wasps prey on cocinellid beetles, which include the ever-popular ladybug. The wasp attacks the bug and injects an egg into it.Included with the egg is a nice little dose of a virus that paralyzes the ladybug.

Ladybug sitting on a Dinocampus coccinella cocoon.

About 3 weeks after the egg has been laid, the wasp larvae pushes out of the bug’s body and weaves a cocoon between its legs. Here’s the twist in this scenario: the ladybug is not completely paralyzed; it is left with the ability to twitch around (which works to keep predators away), but unable to leave the cocoon. In this way, it becomes a zombie babysitter. All’s well that ends well for the ladybug though; once the wasp offspring are ready to venture out on their own the ladybug is released from its bondage. The ladybugs continue on with no apparent damage from their alien abduction.To see how they come out of this check out this video.

Horsehair worms emerging from a cricket.

Horsehair worms: These parasitic worms have a multi-stage life cycle that is complicated enough to need some zombies to complete it. Their larvae are laid in water, but they are unable to swim and

need to get to the surface before they can metamorphosize into their next phase. So, they wobble around on the bottom until the more advanced larvae of another insect (like the mosquito or midge) finally eats it. They stay with the larvae as it grows into a flying insect and now they are airborne. They will fly around with this host until it either dies and gets eaten by a cricket or gets eaten by a cricket and dies. And now they are in the cricket, where they will bore through the gut and get into the body cavity (how they do this is very puzzling as they have no mouths). Usually it is only one worm, but as many as 32 have been found in one cricket. It is when they are growing (to about 1 foot long) in the body of the cricket that the mind control begins. At a point known only to the worm, the cricket will be compelled to move toward light and the reflective surface of water. Crickets usually avoid the water and the dangers it carries, but these zombie crickets head right for it and jump in. Once they hit the water, the worms will erupt from the host (to see this in all its grossness, click here). They then immediately mate and begin the cycle anew. The crickets generally die in the water, but every now and then one will survive and take its ravished body back to shore.

Phorid or Hump-backed fly

Flies and bees: When it comes to bees, there are two predatory parasites that create “zombees”: In the case of honeybees, phorid flies (Apocephalus borealis), also known as hump-backed flies, use the living bee as an incubator for their eggs. As with other ill-fated hosts, the bee will be consumed from the inside. While this is happening, the honeybee will exhibit most un-bee-like conduct such as flying at night and seeking artificial light. No one except, perhaps the fly, knows why they do this. The bee eventually dies, but the weirdness does not end there. About 7 days later, flies will burst out of the neck of the bee, decapitating the corpse.

Conopid or Thick-headed fly

Bumblebees have their own nightmarish zombie maker – the conopid (Conopidae) or thick-headed fly. These flies pry open the body segments of a bee and lay their eggs inside. They are so good at this, that they can do it while both insects are flying. When the larvae inside has grown sufficiently, the mind control takes over. The bee will begin digging in the ground. This is not normally something a bee has any reason to do, but a nice burrow is an excellent place for developing fly babies. And a nice little grave for the helpful host/food supply.

Dragonfly with a Cordyceps problem

Cordyceps fungi: By now, many people have heard of these terrifying fungi; their effects are nothing short of lurid. In short, the spores enter the host body and force it to climb and move around (this helps further spread spores). Once the host’s nutrient value is gone, the fungus grows stalks that shoot out of the body and further spread their spores. If you haven't seen it, you should watch the morbidly beautiful video of this fungus on an ant from Planet Earth on BBC. This fungus only affects insects and arthropods, but it is so grisly and creepy that it has been imagined as a threat to humans in an apocalyptic video game called The Last of Us by Naughty Dog for PlayStation 3. Check it out here.

Image from The Last of Us

All of the above zombie situations are gruesome and a bit disturbing, but they are simply another part of inherently brutal Nature. It is interesting how we place some insect behavior in the negative category while others are seen as a positive. A number of our most important products here at ARBICO Organics™ are parasites: Fly Eliminators™, Aphidius colemani and Beneficial Nematodes, to name a few. ARBICO would not be here without these parasites, I'm just glad we aren’t in the horsehair worm business!                               

Submitted by Pam