Except in winter, there is a chance to find adults coming to feed among aphids outdoors. This species is very common in distribution, but rarely gathers in groups. In addition, people also call them flower elder sisters.
Distributed in some provinces and regions in Northeast my country, North China, Central China, Northwest China, East China and Southwest China; Beijing, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, It is found in Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia and other places, and is commonly found in farmland, forests, gardens, orchards, etc. It is also recorded in Mongolia, North Korea, Japan, the former Soviet Union, India and Europe.
Adult worms are 5.2-6.5 mm long and 4-5.6 mm wide. The body is oval, with an arched back and a scoop shape. The head is black, the compound eyes are black, and there is a light yellow spot on the inner recess.
Antennae brown. Mouthparts black. The upper side is yellow. The front and back of the chest are black, and there is a large, nearly square, light yellow patch on each of the front and upper corners. Scutum black. The elytra are red or orange-yellow, with a total of 7 black spots on both sides; the base of the wing has a triangular white patch on both sides of the small scute. The body belly and feet are black.
Multiple generations occur every year. They spend the winter as adults and emerge as hibernators in April of the following year. Eggs are laid on aphid-containing plant hosts. Both adults and larvae feed on a variety of aphids, psyllids, etc. They are beneficial insects and should be protected.
In the 1970s, the assisted migration method was used to control cotton and wheat aphids in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. In the 1990s, artificial breeding began and was used in production. The seven-spotted ladybug is named after the seven black spots on its elytra. The number of generations that occur each year varies from region to region. For example, in the Anyang area of ??Henan, 6-8 generations occur every year. In cold northern regions, the number of generations occurring each year is smaller. The adult lady beetle has a long lifespan, averaging 77 days. The adults and larvae prey on aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, corn borers, cotton bollworms and other larvae and eggs. One female of the seven-star ladybug can lay 567-4475 eggs, with an average of 78.4 eggs per day and a maximum of 197 eggs. The amount of food taken by the seven-spotted ladybug is related to temperature and prey density. Taking predatory aphids as an example, when the prey density is low, the amount of prey increases exponentially as the density increases; when the density is high, the amount of prey is close to the limit level. Under conditions of high temperature, the mobility of Coccinella septempunctata and its prey is affected, and the predation rate increases. According to statistics, the average daily food intake of Coccinella septempunctata on tobacco aphids is: 10.7 in the 1st instar, 33.7 in the 2nd instar, 60.5 in the 3rd instar, 124.5 in the 4th instar, and 130.8 adults. The seven-spotted ladybug can feed on tens of thousands of aphids during its nearly 80-day life span. Toxicity Coccinella septempunctata is non-toxic and harmless to humans, livestock and natural enemy animals, has no residue and does not pollute the environment.
The seven-star ladybug has a strong self-defense ability. Although its body is only as big as a soybean, many powerful enemies are helpless against it. There is a kind of "chemical weapon" on the joints of its three pairs of thin legs. When it is attacked by enemies, its foot joints can secrete a chemical weapon.The extremely unpleasant-smelling yellow liquid caused the enemy to retreat and escape hastily because they couldn't bear it. It also has the ability to pretend to be dead. When it encounters a strong enemy or danger, it will immediately fall from the tree to the ground, shrink its three pairs of thin legs under its belly, lie down pretending to be dead, and survive by hiding from the enemy.
There is also a wonderful habit among ladybugs: beneficial insects and pests have clear boundaries, do not interfere with each other, do not intermarry with each other, and each maintains traditional habits. Therefore, no matter how many generations are passed down, there will be no "Mixed-race children" will not change their traditional habits.
This is a beautiful and lovely simple drawing of a seven-star ladybug. It is simple and easy to understand, suitable for children to learn. .
