Beetles of Our Lady

              The times have changed, fellas. Social standards have been raised in regards to the treatment and perception of a lady. While many men continue to view women only at the surface, other men have delved deep into the ladies mind to find that more takes place between their ears besides cooking, gossiping, and raising children. Respect is accumulating for women in the workplace. With this in mind, I'd like to point out the superficiality our society has shown toward another lady of sorts: the ladybug. When a person thinks of a ladybug, the person's train of thought goes straight to the famous patterns on the ladybug's elytra (wing covers). This elytra covers over half of the insects body. How superficial is that?! Once the person spends some time thinking about the patterns on the elytra, the person's train of thought drifts to another station. These insects should be given more respect for the goodwill they have shown humans and I will give them due respect by enlightening any audience about the cute insects.
                 First, ladybugs are not actually bugs. They are a group of beetles of the name Coccinellidae. Entomologists refer to the group in general as lady beetles. This group of insects consist mostly of insectivores that feed on a great number of smaller insects such as aphids and scale insects. Aphids are among the many pests that farmers have suffered throughout time. A species of lady beetle, the multicolored Asian lady beetle, has been utilized for pest control in several locations in the U.S.

Dinner Time

                 Lady beetles will go through a complete metamorphosis in their life cycle. A female lady beetle will lay her eggs near a colony of aphids after mating with a male. Several days after the eggs have been laid, larvae will emerge to feast on the aphids. The larvae will undergo three molting stages before pupating. Five to seven days will pass before an adult emerges from the molted shell. I've never seen a lady beetle larva and it's amazing how different it looks from the adult form.

Larval stage of the Lady Beetle

                 I was curious as to how lady beetles were given their name. Were the majority of lady beetles female? After middle school biology, I would have become skeptical of this theory because I learned that a male and a female are required to produce offspring for most species of animalia. After a few winter entomology class sessions, I would have accepted the theory because I learned that some insects (such as parasitic wasps) are capable of producing offspring without a mate. My theory was finally shot down when I encountered a blog that discussed the origin of the lady beetles name. According to this blog (http://babystepsjmj.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-lady-bug-got-its-name.html), the lady beetle acquired its name in medieval times. European farmers faced long famines due to infestations of tiny insects that feasted on their crops. Many prayed to the Virgin Mary for relief from hunger. Soon, swarms of lady beetles aggregated to the fields to feed on the small insects. The beetles were referred to as "Beetles of Our Lady". Our common use of the term "bug" to describe any arthropod most likely influenced the American name for lady beetles.

The red and spots found on the Lady's Beetle was said to represent Mary's joys and sorrows.

                  Some lady beetles have become minor household pests. During the winter, many species of lady beetles search for dry and warm shelters to overwinter. Human dwellings suit them just fine. Several home owners have found swarms of lady beetles in remote corners of their houses. When lady beetles feel threatened, they will intentionally bleed out. Their "blood" gives off a rank odor and can be rather poisonous if consumed. I can only imagine the perturbed faces of the home owner who realizes that simple extermination with the shoe simply won't do.
                  Similar to the narcissist's view that the world was created for his own enjoyment, the unenlightened might think that the lady beetle's elytra appear the way they do simply to amuse him. The evolutionist begs to differ. Potential prey have developed a certain set of colors (variations of red, yellow and orange) to warn predators that eating them would be detrimental to the predator's health. When a predator eats a lady beetle, the predator will become sick and learn to avoid the consumption of these insects.
                   Hopefully this post will enlighten and adjust a person's perception of this beetle. Not only will they be pleasing to see; they will be admired for helping the farmers in dire circumstances.