Hobbies And Interests
United States
The United States has several hundred species of the some 5,000 species of ladybugs because of mild winters and food sources provided by agricultural production. One species commonly seen in Kentucky is the pink lady beetle. Unlike the traditional red-shelled ladybug, this species has a light to dark pink elytra (hard shell over the wings). The pink lady beetle is also known as the 12-spotted ladybug.
Canada
Canada has many of the same species as the United States, but one in particular that dwells there is the Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis). In 1988, this species of ladybug arrived in Louisiana from its native habitats in the Orient. Like the spotted family of ladybugs, the Asian ladybug feeds on aphids and scale insects. This species of ladybug is know to hibernate inside of homes over the winter. And, although ladybugs do not cause wood damage, they leave behind yellow stains caused by the secretions used as a defense mechanism against predators.
China
China is home to the most recognized color of ladybug -- red with black spots. There are several species of this beetle and most are named for the number of black spots that appear on the elytra, such as the two-spotted and seven-spotted ladybug species. Like most ladybugs these species are predator bugs that eat spiders and plant-eating insects. Other Asian countries where ladybugs are found are Japan and Korea.
Other Countries
Australia, India and countries of Africa also have ladybugs. An example of a plant-eating bug that infests many gardens and crops throughout the globe is the Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis). This ladybug is orange with several black spots and has been know to infest crops in Kentucky as well. Another ladybug species that commonly recognized is the convergent lady beetle, which is distinguishable by its extended head and protruding mouth parts that gives the insect a three-segment shape rather than the oval shape of other ladybugs.