Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Lady beetles Asian multicolored lady beetle Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Subclass: Pterygota Superorder: Neoptera Order: Coleoptera Family: Coccinellidae Genera Subfamily Coccidulinae Tribe Lithophilini    Lithophilus Tribe Monocorynini    Mimolithophilus    Monocoryna Tribe Coccidulini    Adoxellus    Auladoria    Botynella    Bucolinus    Bucolus    Bura    Coccidula    Cranoryssus    Empia    Epipleuria    Eupalea    Erithionyx    Eupaleoides    Geodimmockius    Hazisia    Hypoceras    Microrhizobius    Mimoscymnus    Nothocolus    Nothorhyzobius    Orbipressus    Orynipus    Paracranoryssus    Planorbata    Psorolyma    Rhyzobius    Rodatus    Stenadalia    Stenococcus    Syntona Tribe Noviini    Anovia    Eurodolia    Novius    Rodolia    Vedalia Tribe Poriini    Poria Tribe Exoplectrini    Ambrocharis    Anisorhizobius    Aulis    Chapinella    Chnoodes    Coeliaria    Cyrtaulis    Dioria    Discoceras    Exoplectra    Neorhizobius    Neoryssomus    Hovaulis    Oridia    Peralda    Rhizoryssomus    Siola    Sumnius Tribe Azyini    Azya    Pseudoazya Tribe Cranophorini    Cassiculus    Cranophorus Tribe Oryssomini    Oryssomus    Pseudoryssomus Subfamily Coccinellinae Tribe Singhikalini    Singhikalia Tribe Coccinellini    Aages    Adalia    Ailocaria    Alloneda    Anatis    Anisolemnia    Anisosticta    Antineda    Anegleis    Aphidecta    Archegleis    Australoneda    Autotela    Bothrocalvia    Callicaria    Calvia    Cheilomenes    Chloroneda    Cirocolla    Cleobora    Clynis    Coccinella    Chelonitis    Coccinella    Coccinula    Coelophora    Coleomegilla    Cycloneda    Declivitata    Docimocaria    Dysis    Egleis    Eoadalia    Eoanemia    Eriopis    Erythroneda    Eumegilla    Harmonia    Heterocaria    Heteroneda    Hippodamia    Hysia    Illeis    Lemnia    Lioadalia    Macronaemia    Megalocaria    Megillina    Micraspis    Microcaria    Microneda    Mononeda    Mulsantina    Myrrha    Myzia    Naemia    Neda    Nedina    Neocalvia    Neoharmonia    Nesis    Oenopia    Oiocaria    Olla    Oxytella    Palaeoneda    Paranaemia    Phrynolemnia    Procula    Propylea    Pseudadonia    Pseudoenopia    Sospita    Sphaeroneda    Spiloneda    Synona    Synonycha    Xanthadalia Tribe Halyziini    Eothea    Halyzia    Macroilleis    Metamyrrha    Microneda    Neohalyzia    Oxytella    Protothea    Psyllobora    Vibidia Tribe Tytthaspidini    Bulaea    Isora    Tytthaspis Tribe Discotomini    Discotoma    Euseladia    Pristonema    Seladia    Vodella Subfamily Scymninae Tribe Aspidimerini    Acarinus    Aspidimerus    Cryptogonus    Pseudaspidimerus Tribe Stethorini    Stethorus    Parastethorus Tribe Scymnini    Acoccidula    Aponephus    Apseudoscymnus    Axinoscymnus    Clitostethus    Cryptolaemus    Cycloscymnus    Cyrema    Didion    Horniolus    Keiscymnus    Leptoscymnus    Midus    Nephaspis    Nephus    Depressoscymnus    Geminosipho    Nephus    Parascymnus    Scymnobius    Sidis    Parasidis    Propiptus    Pseudoscymnus    Scymniscus    Scymnodes    Scymnomorpha    Scymnus    Veronicobius Tribe Diomini    Decadiomus    Diomus    Heterodiomus    Magnodiomus    Erratodiomus Tribe Scymnillini    Viridigloba    Zagloba    Zilus Tribe Selvadiini    Selvadius Tribe Hyperaspidini    Blaisdelliana    Corystes    Helesius    Hyperaspidius    Hyperaspis    Thalassa    Tiphysa Tribe Brachiacanthadini    Brachiacantha    Cyra    Hinda Tribe Pentiliini    Calloeneis    Curticornis    Pentilia Tribe Cryptognathini    Cryptognatha Subfamily Ortaliinae Tribe Ortaliini    Amida    Amidellus    Anortalia    Azoria    Cinachyra    Ortalia    Ortalistes    Paramida    Rhynchortalia    Scymnhova    Zenoria Subfamily Chilocorinae Tribe Telsimiini    Hypocyrema    Telsimia Tribe Platynaspidini    Crypticolus    Platynaspis Tribe Chilocorini    Anisorcus    Arawana    Axion    Brumoides    Brumus    Chilocorus    Cladia    Curinus    Egius    Endochilus    Exochomus    Halmus    Harpasus    Orcus    Parapriasus    Phaenochilus    Priasus    Priscibrumus    Simmondsius    Trichorcus    Xanthocorus    Zagreus Subfamily Sticholotidinae Tribe Sukunahikonini    Hikonasukuna    Orculus    Paraphellus Tribe Cephaloscymnini    Aneaporia    Cephaloscymnus    Neaporia    Prodilis    Prodiloides Tribe Microweiseini    Coccidophilus    Cryptoweisea    Dichaina    Diloponis    Gnathoweisea    Microcapillata    Microfreudea    Microweisea    Nipus    Pseudosmilia    Sarapidus    Stictospilus Tribe Carinodulini    Carinodula    Carinodulina    Carinodulinka Tribe Serangiini    Catana    Catanella    Delphastus    Microserangium    Serangiella    Serangium Tribe Shirozuellini    Ghanius    Medamatento    Promecopharus    Sasajiella    Shirozuella Tribe Plotinini    Ballida    Buprestodera    Catanaplotina    Haemoplotina    Paraplotina    Plotina    Protoplotina    Sphaeroplotina Tribe Sticholotidini    Boschalis    Bucolellus    Chilocorellus    Coelolotis    Coelopterus    Filipinolotis    Glomerella    Habrolotis    Hemipharus    Jauravia    Lenasa    Lotis    Mimoserangium    Neaptera    Nelasa    Neojauravia    Neotina    Nesina    Nesolotis    Nexophallus    Paracoelopterus    Parajauravia    Paranelasa    Paranesolotis    Parinesa    Pharopsis    Pharoscymnus    Phlyctenolotis    Semiviride    Sticholotis    Stictobura    Sulcolotis    Synonychimorpha    Trimallena    Xamerpillus    Xanthorcus    Xestolotis Tribe Limnichopharini    Limnichopharus Tribe Argentipilosini    Argentipilosa Subfamily Epilachninae Tribe Epilachnini    Adira    Afidenta    Afidentula    Afissula    Afilachna    Chnootriba    Epilachna    Henosepilachna    Macrolasia    Subafissa    Subcoccinella    Toxotoma Tribe Epivertini    Epiverta Tribe Madaini    Bambusicola    Cynegetis    Damatula    Lorma    Mada    Malata    Megatela    Merma    Pseudodira    Tropha Tribe Eremochilini    Eremochilus Ladybirds (Commonwealth English), also known as ladybugs (American English) or lady beetles (some scientists favor this) are a family, Coccinellidae ("little sphere"), of beetles. Ladybirds are found worldwide, with over 4,500 species described, more than 450 native to North America alone. Ladybirds are small insects, ranging from 1 mm to 10 mm, and are usually yellow, orange, or red with small black spots on their carapace, and black legs, head and feelers. As the family name suggests, they are usually quite round in shape. Ladybirds are extremely beneficial to organic gardeners because most species are carnivorous, consuming aphids, fruit flies, thrips, and other tiny plant-sucking insects that damage crops. In fact, their name is derived from "Beetle of Our Lady", recognizing their role in saving crops from destruction. Today they are commercially available from a variety of suppliers. Adult ladybirds are able to reflex-bleed from their leg joints. The blood is yellow, with a strong repellent smell, and is quite obvious when one handles a ladybird roughly. The ladybird is immortalised in the children's nursery rhyme: Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home Your house is on fire and your children are gone All except one, and that's Little Anne For she has crept under the warming pan. The ladybird is the symbol of the Dutch Foundation against Senseless Violence. [1] Notable species: (note, not all individuals show the number of spots suggested by their names) Seven-spotted lady beetle (Coccinella septempunctata) Two-spotted lady beetle (Adalia bipunctata) Convergent lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens) Spotted lady beetle (Coleomegilla maculata) Twice-stabbed lady beetle (Chilocurus stigma) Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis Mulsant) P-14 lady beetle consuming an aphid References I. Hodek & A. Honek, Ecology of Coccinellidae (Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1996) External links http://home.ptd.net/~insect/ladybug.html http://www.geobop.com/Symbols/Animals/Insects/1/Ladybugs/ http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/predators/ladybintro.html The Lady Beetle Taxonomy of Coccinelids Ladybird is also a British children's clothing label of the 1960s and 1970s Ladybird Books is a children's book publisher, based in Loughborough, England, noted for publishing small-format, short hardcovers illustrated in full colour, with some condensed from classic children's novels. Ladybird, Ladybird (1995), is a movie directed by Ken Loach, about a woman losing custody of her four children. This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.