Good afternoon everyone,
The ladybug is a beetle which comes in many different species (more than 6000 in the world) that we differentiate by their color (yellow, orange, red, white, pink or black), but also by the number of points present on their elytra.
Ladybugs have 2, 7, 10 or even 22 points, it is thanks to this number of points that we can differentiate them.
The number of points does not determine their age but simply corresponds to different species, therefore these cannot reproduce with each other if they do not have the same number of points.
The best known species is the seven-spotted lady beetle.
She lives 4 to 5 months if she is born in spring, 1 year if she is born in late summer, but with a winter at rest.
As of summer, adult ladybugs seek a place to spend the winter, they hibernate in the holes of trees, in piles of wood or stones, under bark or dead leaves, in cracks in walls,... etc.
Most ladybugs are insectivores, they feed on insects such as aphids, however there are some herbivorous ladybugs.
They are therefore a natural insecticide.
In reality, the brightly colored patterns on the back of ladybugs are simply a way to protect themselves from attack, a way to warn potential predators that they are trying to attack a poisonous creature.
Ladybugs contain a lot of alkaloids, toxic substances.
They also have very bad taste, a predator who would eat a ladybug would keep a very unpleasant memory of it and would avoid in the future all the point insects.
Have a nice day.