Question

The ladybird beetle is
(a) Bird
(b) Insect
(c) Worm
(d) Reptile

Answer 1

Hint: The ladybird beetle belongs to the phylum Arthropoda having three pairs of jointed legs and a body is segmented into three parts the head, thorax, and abdomen with compound eyes and one pair of antennae.

Correct step by step answer:
The ladybird beetle or ladybug belongs to the class Insecta of the phylum Arthropoda and Coccinellidae family. Ladybird beetles are hemispheric in shape and are usually 8 to 10 mm long. They have short legs and are usually brightly colored with black, yellow, or reddish markings. The color of the wing covers and the number of spots varies among species.
So, the correct answer is ‘Insect’.

Additional Information:
- The life cycle of a ladybird requires about four weeks to complete one generation.
- They have long, slender, soft- bodied larvae, which are usually gray with blue, green, red, or black spots, and feed on other insects and insect eggs.
- The larvae pass through four growth stages and then attach to some object and pupate in their last larval skin.
- Large groups of ladybird beetles usually hibernate together each winter at the same location.
- Clusters of ladybird beetles are often gathered and sold to farmers and gardeners to control such insect pests as aphids, scales, and mites by feeding on them.
- Although most ladybird beetles and their larvae are carnivorous, several of them feed on plants and are quite destructive. Two of these destructive beetles are the squash beetle (Epilachna Borealis) and the Mexican bean beetle (E. varivestis) .

Note:
- According to National Geographic reports, there are about 5,000 species of ladybugs in the world, including 500 in the United States.
- The spots and bright colors of the insect are meant to warn would- be attackers that this beetle tastes terrible.
- In folk medicine, ladybird beetles have been prescribed as remedies for colic, measles, and toothaches.