Other ladybird facts :
- The name originates from the Middle Ages, when the beetle was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and called the "Beetle of Our Lady"
- Instead of dying when it gets cold, they hiberate during the winter
- However, they don't escape death so easily when it comes to parasitic wasps, as they lay their eggs in the live adult and eat their way out (accounting for 50% of all ladybird deaths). Nice.
- Female ladybirds lay between 50-300 eggs in their lifetime
- The average adult eats over 5000 aphids, and the womenfolk eat 3-10 aphids for every egg she lays (obviously laying eggs is a strenuous activity...)
- A gallon of ladybirds (approx 72,000, although I don't know who counted them...) will set you back around $72 from your local ladybird dealer
NB - Not to be confused with ladyboys, which are a different subject altogether.