@Thefightwithinher 6 November 2020 more from that month

Why Ladybugs are Essential in Gardens

The lady beetle, also known as the lucky ladybug or ladybird, feeds on the eggs of insects, aphids, mites, and other soft-bodied bugs during their life cycle.  Gardeners may find the bright orange or yellow eggs of this beneficial beetle on plant stems and leaves where aphids often feed. After about a week, the eggs hatch, and the beetle larvae emerge in search of food.  The larva which resembles a tiny alligator is black or grey with yellow or orange stripes and can grow anywhere from 1mm to 1cm in length, depending on the prey available. They will feed for two to four weeks on insect prey before preparing for the pupal stage a process that can take anywhere from 3 to 12 days, depending on the environmental conditions. After a week an adult beetle will emerge in search of food and a mate for reproduction, often in other aphid infested areas if food is scarce.  Adult ladybugs are typically orange or red with black spots, but can also be black with red spots, depending on the species.  Once reproduction begins, a female adult beetle may lay anywhere from 20 over 1,000 eggs in a 3-month span during the warm seasonal months, thus providing avid gardeners with a natural alternative for their plants in return.       .