Probably the best known and enjoyed beneficial insect is the Ladybird Beetle, the ladybug. Its name originated in the Middle Ages when it was called the "Beetle of Our Lady" after being dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

There are many different kinds of ladybugs: yellow, orange, or black, often with a distinctive pattern of yellow black or orange spots. Some are solid in color. The most common is red with seven black spots.

Birds are attracted to their bright colors, but soon learn to avoid the little beetles. Many ladybugs when attacked by birds turn over and excrete a foul-smelling liquid from their legs.

Ladybug eggs are laid on the undersides of leaves near aphids or other prey. The soft bodied, spiny, spotted larvae feed on the nearby insects. The larvae pass through four stages of growth and then pupate for about a week on the side of a pot or on plant stems. Mature ladybugs feast on aphids, soft scales, mealybugs, and spider mites. Each species has its particular preferred diet.

(One summer while at the beach in Delaware, we encountered thousands of ladybugs, the regular, it seemed, red and black kind, which were landing on the beach near the waterline. They inflicted painful bites, drawing blood, on the swimmers and sunbathers who were near the surf.) The Mexican Bean Beetle and the Squash Beetle are also Ladybird Beetles. They are destructive insects which feed on ornamental plants and food crops. The Mexican Bean Beetle is yellowish brown to copper colored and always has sixteen black dots.

During cold seasons ladybugs hibernate in large groups in hollow trees or under piles of vegetation. Masses of ladybugs are often seen wintering in the mountains near Sierra Vista.

Ladybugs are often gathered commercially from these seasonal swarms. After they are bought and released into a homeowner's garden, though, they simply fly away to swarm again and to lay their eggs far away from the purchaser's back yard. They can be useful, though, in screened greenhouses.

The best way to encourage the beneficial ladybug to live in your garden is to grow grains and pollen and nectar flowers, and to protect any egg clusters, larvae, or pupae that you may find. Local ladybugs can also be collected from fields. Also, of course, use only natural pest control methods and limit insecticide usage.