The ladybird life cycle
The diagram below illustrates the life of a ladybird.
- October- February:
Adult ladybirds spend winter in a dormant state, known as 'overwintering'.
- March- April: Adult
ladybirds become active and leave their overwintering sites to find food, aphids
(greenfly).
- May: Male and female ladybirds mate.
- June- July: Mated females lay eggs which hatch
into immature stages called 'larvae'. Larvae feed on aphids and then form
'pupae'.
- August: The new generation of adult ladybirds
emerge from the pupae.
- September: These new adults
feed but do not mate until next spring after they have overwintered.