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What Does a Ladybug Eat?

Ladybugs, also called ladybirds or lady beetles, eat different things according to which one of the world's 5,000 ladybug species the particular ladybug happens to be. The majority of ladybug adults and larvae eat insects smaller than themselves and flower nectar, but other species eat fungus or vegetable roots. Occasionally, ladybugs will eat each other.

Insect Diet
- Ladybug appetites make them beneficial insects for the garden and for orchards. One species, seven-spot ladybug or Coccinella septempunctata, was exported to North America from Europe specifically to eat garden and tree pests like aphids, mites and scales. Other ladybugs eat moth eggs, mealybugs and whiteflies as well as aphids. Of the ladybugs that eat insects, some can eat an average of 5,000 aphids in their lifetime, according to National Geographic.Ladybugs eat soft-bodied insects as opposed to those with hard exoskeletons. Insects make up the core part of these species' diet, but not all of it. Some ladybug species like the eggs of insects rather than the adults. For example, the larvae of the 12-spot ladybug, or Coleomegilla maculata, likes to eat the eggs of the Colorado potato beetle eggs but cannot survive entirely on them, according to John Acorn, author of "Ladybugs of Alberta."
Treats
- Insect-eating ladybugs also enjoy tree pollen, flower nectar and honeydew. Artificial honeydew in the form of sugar water can attract ladybugs to a garden, as well as planting nectar and pollen-bearing plants, such as cilantro, geraniums with a scent and umbrella-shaped flowers.
Exceptions
- Australia is home to fungus-eating ladybird beetles, or Illeis galbula. They eat fungus that grows on leaves, so it may seem as if they are eating the leaf when, in fact, they are only interested in fungus. Two pest species of ladybugs to watch out for is the orange and black-spotted Mexican bean beetle, or Epilachna varivestis, and the similarly colored squash beetle, or Epilachna borealis. These species do not attack flowers, leaves, grass or trees.
Cannibalism
- Ladybug larvae, which appear like tiny alligators, may eat other ladybug larvae or eggs. Cannibalistic larvae from the species called the Halloween ladybug or the multicolored Asian lady beetle develop faster and can live in harsher environments than those that do not turn cannibal, according to John Acorn. Asian lady beetles imported to the United Kingdom eat the native species of ladybugs, according to the University of Georgia.

Insects & Science