• How did ladybugs get their name?

Most ladybug species consume plant-eating insects, such as aphids, and in doing so they help to protect crops. Ladybugs lay hundreds of eggs in the colonies of aphids and other plant-eating pests. When they hatch, the ladybug larvae immediately begin to feed. In this way, ladybugs can control insect pests through natural predation.

• Why are Ladybug populations dwindling?
Like most animals, the primary threat to ladybugs is the destruction of their habitat. Ladybugs are endangered because their habitats are declining due to human intervention, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. Human development has taken an overwhelming toll on the environment. Impact from land use practices such as deforestation continues to deteriorate and fragment remaining pockets of habitat and accelerate biodiversity loss. Pesticides and other forms of pollution are also of severe concern.

• Why does biodiversity matter?
Although there are over 5,000 species of ladybugs around the globe - about 500 native to North America - the extinction of even one single species can be a devastating loss. Ecosystems with more diversity have more players who can contribute when conditions unexpectedly change, such as short summers or a year without much food. Not all ladybugs will succeed in eating aphids under all conditions and in all places. This means that the fewer the species of ladybugs, the more vulnerable ecosystems become to pest insect populations.