Ladybug Lady Beetle

My first drawing, above, is very basic. It is a representation of how ladybugs are most commonly portrayed and the way that young children most likely perceive it. To the right adjusted first drawing. After researching this insect, I could confidently label and include other body parts. The pronotum protects the head and usually has spots on it. Its six legs are jointed and have special organs that help them smell. The antennae help them touch, smell, and taste. The elytra covers and protects the thin wings and is usually red, orange, yellow, or black.

The Ladybug The ladybug, also known as the “lady beetle,” “ladybird beetle,” belongs to the beetle family of Coccinellidae. Coccinellidae means “little sphere.” While there are over 4000 species, about 350 can be found in North America. In this map of the world, the yellow shaded parts represent where ladybugs can be found. They generally live on trees, shrubs, fields, beaches, and houses! They do not fly when the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, likely the reason why they are not found in the most northern and most southern regions of the world. Ladybugs have a round/oval shape and vary in color from red, orange, or black with red or black spots. Their distinct colors and look are a part of its defense system. Predators are not attracted to it and learn that they do not taste good. Ladybugs secrete a fluid in the joints of their legs that has a foul taste and odor. Another defense mechanism is to “play dead” when in danger because most predators do not eat insects that do not move. Many of us have probably noticed that ladybugs stop moving when we try to catch them and that sometimes their legs curl up under their body. Other times they crawl around or fly away. Lady bugs are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and other insects. In particular, their favorite food are aphids. Aphids are small plant lice that eat plants. Without ladybugs, farmers would have more trouble keeping their crops because the aphids threaten plant life. The 4-6 week life cycle of a ladybug is a complete metamorphosis. It begins as an egg for 2-5 days, develops into a larva for 21 days, then it changes into the pupa stage for 7 days, and eventually emerges as an adult ladybug. For the first 24 hours, they generally do not have spots. As the ladybug ages, its spots begin to fade. Eggs (about 300) are laid in an aphid colony so that when they emerge there is plenty of food for the larvae. Larvae have a distinctly different look from the adult ladybug. They have an alligator shape and are covered in bumps and spines with side-shaped jaws (look to picture on left). Some of its physical characteristics are the elytra and black spots, the pronotum, its 6 jointed legs, and antennae. Check out the next slide to learn what their purposes are!!

Bugscope The detail that can be seen on Bugscope on the ESEM is incredible. It is a little creepy, but definitely helps have a better idea of the functions of different parts of the ladybug. Looking up close at the lady bugs legs/hands/feet, it is easier to understand that they have organs that help them smell. The same applies for looking more closely at the antennae. My drawings do not show such detail, but such detail cannot easily be seen by the naked eye or through a microscope. Although not found on Bugscope’s website directly (which was temporarily unavailable when I tried to access it), it was found in an article about Bugscope. This picture shows the detail that can be seen using an ESEM through Bugscope. In our interaction with Bugscope in class, we saw many images like this that show us the most miniscule detail. This image above, possibly shows the hair on the leg of a spider, some of the smallest physical parts of an insect that help it sense, smell, and touch. Using this activity with your students is a great, engaging way to learn more about insects. Sitting in the back it was harder to see and it may be harder for kids to pay attention when there is a larger group of students. If kids interact in smaller groups with the Bugscope crew, it can be a very meaningful learning experience.

Standards and Authenticity NSES- Content Standard 3, Life Science, K-4: Through an activity like this, students will learn about the different characteristics, life cycle, and environment of a ladybug. Through research, viewing the bug on the ESEM, and by talking with scientists, students will learn about the functions of the ladybug’s body parts, about what it needs to survive, how it behaves, what its life cycle is, and about the environment in which it lives. They will be able to use this knowledge to help them study other insects as well. Because ESEM are very expensive and not readily available to most students, the opportunity that UIUC offers to look at bugs through an ESEM at our control via the internet is valuable. Microscopes are great for a concrete and tangible way to investigate bugs, but the ESEM magnifies to such greater detail that students can benefit from. The interaction with the scientists via instant messaging is a technology kids are very familiar with today. It engages them with a professional in real time about the specimens they are viewing under their own control. This activity allows the student ownership and control of their learning.

Connections to Cross Curricular Areas and Activities Students can investigate their insects more by going to the library and using reference materials such as an encyclopedia. They can also find magazines that often offer many pictures and an interesting read. Teachers can provide fictional books to read, starring their bug. Pascale deBourgoing wrote a book called The Ladybug and Other Insects that explores the life cycle of the ladybug and other bugs. It can be found through the Catalog of Public Libraries in Milwaukee. Ladybug Ladybug by Ruth Brown could be used for emerging readers to encourage favorable feelings toward the ladybug and to get them excited to begin the study of insects. The Scholastic Children’s Encyclopedia may be a good place to begin looking at the ladybug. Encyclopedias often offer a good starting place to begin research, but should not be used as the only resource. This activity can be worked into an art and/or reading class. Students can draw their picture like we did and can add to their picture as they learn more about the insect. In this form, students can develop an appreciation for the insect and for art. To develop literacy, they may also write a story about their insect or the teacher can bring in books- fictional or non-fictional- to engage the students through reading and writing. In communicating with the scientists, they are developing their communication skills and are learning how to speak appropriately with adults.

References mar95/ beetlemagstory.htmhttp:// mar95/ beetlemagstory.htm nimals/bugs/ladybug.htmlhttp://animals.nationalgeographic.com/a nimals/bugs/ladybug.html dybuganatomy.htmhttp:// dybuganatomy.htm h.php?q=ladybughttp://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/searc h.php?q=ladybug (link to picture from slide 4) : and- scientists&h=109&w=160&sz=8&hl=en&start=24&um=1&usg=__OZuMaNFwhQ_7ICKF5PTsNXzYavs=&tbnid=ochI9nRwnncCOM:&tbnh=67&tbnw=98&prev=/images%3Fq%3Desem%2Binsects%26 start%3D18%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DN