Ladybug

The life cycle of the ladybug is between four to six weeks.  In the spring the adults lay up to three hundred eggs in an aphid colony.  The eggs hatch in two to five days.  The newly hatched larvae feed on aphids for up to three weeks, and then they enter the pupa stage.  The adult ladybug emerges about a week later.  However, they usually do not have their spots for their first 24 hours of adulthood. There may be as many as six generations of ladybugs hatched in a year. 

Egg Stage

After a few days of feeding, female ladybugs will deposit their eggs in small yellow clusters under a leaf or stem. The number of eggs laid depends on the availability of aphids, and the eggs are laid near pest populations. Within a week the eggs hatch into tiny alligator shaped larvae that join their “parents” feeding on many insect pests. After about 3 to 4 weeks the larvae will pupate and one week later the young adult beetles will emerge, ready to feed. Ladybird beetles generally have one to two generations per year, depending on season length.

Larval Stage

The odd-looking creatures that hatch out of the eggs are called larva (larvae if there are more than one). They have long bodies with six legs. They are mostly black with colored spots and they look sort of like little alligators. The ladybug will live as a larva for about two to four weeks of its life. During that time, the larva will shed its skin several times. Each time, the skin underneath allows it to grow a little bit bigger. While it is a larva, the ladybug will eat a lot; it can eat as many as 400 aphids! When the larva has grown as much as it needs to, it attaches itself to a leaf to get ready for its next stage of life.

Pupa Stage

When the larva mature it attaches itself to a plant leaf or stem to pupate. The pupa stage of a ladybug remain for about 5 to 7 days.

Adult Ladybug