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Ladybug Unit Study and Badge Resources

Ladybug Unit Study and Badge Resources

Learning about insects puts many kids off as they immediately think of bugs like ants, beetles, and other creepy crawlies. But there are some adorable harmless insects that just about everyone enjoys and the humble ladybug is one of them. This week, earn your Ladybug badge by adapting the requirements for the Insects (specific) badge. Other badges you may wish to earn alongside include things like Biomes or Insects (general) .

Ladybug Life Cycle

Ladybugs, like most insects, undergo complete metamorphosis over the course of their lifetime. Each stage of the life cycle—egg, larva, pupa, and adult—is marked by a distinctly different appearance.

To Do: Watch the video below to learn about the life cycle of a ladybug and what it looks like at each stage of its life.

Fulfills preschool requirement 1 & 2

Fulfills Level 1 requirement 2

Where Do You Find Ladybugs and Why?

Ladybugs are native to every continent around the world with the exception of Antarctica. The can be found in many different habitats, including grasslands, forests, cities, suburbs, and along rivers. Ladybugs, or lady beetles, are considered a beneficial bug which helps rid an area of crop-damaging aphids, mealybugs and other destructive insect pests. The adult ladybugs not only eat these pests, but they lay hundreds of eggs in the colonies of aphids and other plant-eating pests as well. When they hatch, the ladybug larvae immediately begin to feed, further ridding the area of unwanted insects.

To Do: Click on the images below. Print out the black and white map below and use polka dots to color in where you can find ladybugs. Use the colored map as your answer key.

black and white map of the world
color map of where ladybugs are native

Fulfills Level 2 requirement 2

yellow ladybug

Ladybug Species

The biological classifcation of ladybugs is as follow:

  • Kingdom: Animalia (All animals)
  • Phylum: Arthopoda (Invertebrates)
  • Class: Insecta (Insects)
  • Order: Coleoptera (Beetles.)
  • Family: Coccinellidae (Lady beetles)
  • Genus: Hippodamia ( Lady beetle type)
  • Species: Convergens (specific ladybug)

Did you know there are over 5,000 different species of ladybug? They come in red, orange, black, yellow, pink, and white. Their spots aren’t always black and some don’t even have spots. They may have stripes or no markings at all.

To Do: Look at a variety of different ladybug species. Play around with the ladybug identification page from DiscoverLife.org to see what different species look like and to learn more about them.

Fulfills Level 3 requirement 2 and Level 4 requirement 2

Anatomy of a Ladybug

Insect anatomy is quite different from the mammals that most kids are familiar with. Like all insects, ladybugs have 6 legs, antennae, 3 body parts, compound eyes and an exoskeleton.

To Do: Use the worksheets below to learn what each part of a ladybug is called. Then color your ladybug based on one of the species that you learned about.

anatomy of a ladybug worksheet
anatomy of a ladybug answer key

Ladybug Hunt

According to The Lost Ladybug Project, “Across North America ladybug species composition is changing.  Over the past twenty years native ladybugs that were once very common have become extremely rare.  During this same time ladybugs from other parts of the world have greatly increased both their numbers and range. This is happening very quickly and we don’t know how, or why, or what impact it will have on ladybug diversity or the role that ladybugs play in keeping plant-feeding insect populations low.”

To Do: Participate in the Lost Ladybug project to help document your local ladybug population. You can find out how to find and photograph your local ladybugs on their website. Send in your photos and include where and how you collected, how many people collected for how long, the time, date, weather, and habitat. 

Fulfills optional requirement 4, 5 and 11

ladybug on a yellow daisy

How to Attract Ladybugs

If you are a rose gardener you know how destructive pests like aphids can be. Attracting ladybugs to your garden will help keep more destructive insects under control without having to resort to using pesticides. But how to attract these adorable beetles and entice them to stay?

Gardening Know How’s article Tips To Attract Ladybugs To Your Garden walks you through what plants to plant in your garden as well as tips like how to leave water or protective houses for your local ladybugs.

To Do: Plant one or more plants in your yard that will attract ladybugs.

To Do: Make a ladybug house and place it in your garden. Full instructions for one can be found on HGTV.com

Fulfills optional requirement 14

rock painted to look like a ladybug

Ladybug Crafts

Ladybug crafts abound as these adorable beetles bring happy thoughts of spring and summer. From simple preschool paper crafts to more advanced sewing projects, the choices are endless.

To Do: Create one or more crafts that feature ladybugs. Come up with a simple project like painting a rock to look like a ladybug, or choose from one of the links below.

25 LOVELY LADYBUG CRAFTS FOR KIDS by PlayIdeas.com

20 Easy To Make Ladybug Crafts For Kids by Kids Love What

HOW TO MAKE A LADYBUG SOFTIE – by Fleece Fun

fleece ladybug craft by fleecefun.com

Fulfills optional requirement 16

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