Watch our ladybugs grow!
May 3rd
The ladybug larvae arrived today! Do you see the tiny larvae in the photos? Larvae get stressed very easily so I am going to keep the container still while they grow. I can look at them using the magnifying glass without moving the container.
How are you monitoring your ladybugs as they grow? How often are you looking at them? How will you know if they've grown?
My ladybugs in their new habitat
Close up of the ladybugs. Do you see the larvae?
May 6th
Did you notice the life cycle figurines and water dropper in the picture?
The water dropper is an important tool to meet my ladybug larvae's needs. What is the water dropper for and why is it important?
The figurines show you all 4 stages of a ladybug's life. Can you tell what stage are my ladybugs are in right now?
May 7th
My ladybug larvae are getting bigger! When I put the ladybugs into the container, all the little brown specks went in too. This is their food, and you can see one eating in the picture!
What else to ladybug larvae eat?
Last time, we asked what the eye dropper was for. I use it to put water on a sponge so they have humidity in the cage (that means water in the air). We can't just put a bowl of water in for them in case they get stuck inside the water and drown.
In the second picture, the ladybug is checking out the sponge.
May 8th
My ladybugs are getting bigger than I expected! Now that they are bigger, I can see all the different parts of their body.
Can you find their:
Head
Thorax
Abdomen
Did you know that ladybugs have other names in other places? In some places, they are called Ladybirds, Lady Beetles, Lady Cows, or even Lady Flies.
Why do you think they have different names in different places? Can you think of other animals or plants that have different names?
May 9th
I've also noticed black pieces on the bottom of the container. Some of those pieces are very little and are ladybug poop. But some of the other pieces are too big to be poop. What do you think they are?
When the larvae grow, they get too big to fit into their exoskeleton (the protective shell around them). When it's too squishy for them to fit inside, they molt. That means they wiggle around until the exoskeleton cracks and they can crawl out. Then they start making a new exoskeleton.
Have you seen your ladybug larvae molting? Do you see any evidence of exoskeletons that have been shed?
May 10th
Some of my ladybugs are starting to look different! Do you notice in the picture that some are looking sorter then they did yesterday?
When they are big enough, they will begin metamorphosis. The larvae will molt one last time then begin to form a pupae. Now, instead of being called larvae, they are called pupae.
How will you know when the ladybug is ready to pupate?
May 13th
All of my ladybugs are now pupae! There isn't much going on now because they aren't moving or eating.
Here is a close up photo of them. I think from above they still don't look like ladybugs, but they kind of do from underneath, don't they?
What changes do you notice between the larvae and the pupae?